Mirror's Image
by DarkSonic21
Summary: Twilight never was a unicorn. And she didn't even know it. Yeah, I suck at summaries.
1. Prolouge

Prologue

Mirror's Image

Night Light paced down the hallway. The doctors had forced him out of the room, leaving him to pace endlessly in front of the door. He was pretty sure that his horseshoes were filed down to pretty much nothing by now.

A cry of pain from within the room brought him back to his senses as he nervously eyed the door handle.

'Come on…' Night Light thought to himself. 'I can only count the tiles here so many times!'

Three hundred and twenty nine by the way, one was missing for some reason that Night Light couldn't quite understand.

"Dad!" Night Light's ears perked up. He turned just in time to get pushed to the ground by Shining Armor. "Is she here yet?" The excitable little colt asked. "I can't wait to meet her! What are little sisters like anyway?"

"Calm down Shiny." Night Light looked up to see his mother-in-law walk in. "And get off your father, this is a hospital after all."

"Yes grandma." Shining Armor grinned and got off his father, allowing the blue stallion to regain his footing.

"Hey Twinkle." Night Light said.

"Hello dear. How is it?" The older mare asked, concern clear on her face.

"Not good." Night Light admitted. "The doctors kicked me out of the room. And that was hours ago."

"I see…" The grey mare frowned.

"Hey dad!" Shining Armor piped up. "Look what I made!" He held up a stuffed pony. Night Light took a look at it.

It was crudely, yet firmly stitched together, the eyes were mismatched and the hair was a disaster. "Do you think she'll like it? I made it for her!" Shining said enthusiastically.

"Of course she will." Night Light said. "Are you sure grandma didn't help you with this?"

"Of course not dear." Twilight Twinkle said. "The colt's got a good eye to horn coordination. I think it might just be his special talent." She teased.

"What?" Shining Armor uttered. "No way! I wanna be a royal guard when I grow up!" The little colt proclaimed, saluting his grandmother and father just like his heroes.

"That's nice dear." Twinkle said. "Why don't you practice right here? Celestia's finest can stand still for days on end you know."

"Really?" Shining Armor asked with a frown on his face. "That sounds stupid."

"It's a way of meditation." Twinkle explained. "They enter a trance in which they save their energy, yet see all that goes on around them. Nothing gets by them."

"Wow, really? I'll go try that right away!" Shining Armor ran to the edge of the hallway and ground to a halt, assumed a standing position and stopped moving.

"That'll keep him busy for a bit." Twinkle said. "What did the doctors say?"

"Haven't heard from them in hours." Night Light said. "They kicked me out, remember?"

"Before that dear, before that." Twinkle said.

"They were yelling." Night Light admitted. "I only picked up a few things before that behemoth of a nurse tossed me out on my face. Things about that she wasn't positioned right and her umbilical cord." He sighed. "I don't know what to make of that."

"My dear, I think that all we can do right now is wait." Twinkle said as she sat down on the bench. "You get some rest." She added. "You look like you're about to fall over."

Night Light hated to admit it but she was right. He sat down next to her. "Wake me if something happens, okay? I'm gonna get some shuteye."

"Of course dear." Twinkle said.

"I'll admit, he's a persistent one." A somewhat familiar voice to Night Light's left said.

The blue stallion opened his eyes, blinking a few times as the hallway came back into focus.

"How long has he been standing there like that?" Night Light now recognized that voice as one of the nurses. Not one inside the room with his wife, unfortunately.

"Two hours." Twinkle said. "He's going to be a royal guard when he grows up, just like his grandpa."

"What's wrong with being an astronomer?" Night Light asked.

"You're awake dear?" Twinkle asked. "Nothing, of course." She proceeded to answer his question. "It's just not so…"

"Exciting." The nurse helped out.

"Maybe not." Night Light admitted with a small smile. "But at least it's safe. Unless a meteor comes crashing in again."

The nurse stifled a laugh. "What? I'm being serious." Night Light said. "Well, it eventually turned out to be Princess Celestia's pet phoenix, but still that was one exciting evening." He chuckled weakly.

Twinkle gave him a dismissing wave of her hoof and turned back to the nurse she was chatting with. "Anyway, Shiny's got his mind set on-"

Twinkle fell silent as the door opened up. Night Light scrambled off of the uncomfortable chair and made his way there, nearly tackling the doctor to the ground in his hurry.

"How is she? Is she hurt? What about the foal? Is she okay?" He bombarded the doctor with questions.

The doctor didn't say anything at first but his facial expression told Night Light enough. Tears were blinking in the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He said, cursing himself for having to bring this kind of news. He hated this part of his job so very much.

Night Light dropped to his knees. The doctor's words simply shattered his world.

"No, no, no…" He muttered. "Don't tell me, please…"

"The foal didn't make it." The doctor said despite Night Light's plea. He was obviously hurt by having to share such awful news. "You can see your wife now."

"What's going on?" Shining Armor asked. The commotion had snapped him out of his self-imposed trance. "Is she here?"

"Shiny." Night Light uttered. How could he tell this to his son? Shining Armor had been so excited about getting a little sister.

"Shiny." He repeated himself as he tried to find the right words. "Your sister, she… she didn't make it."

"Huh?" The colt was confused. "Is she late? We can wait, right? She's bound to show up eventually."

"What your father means," Twinkle sat down next to her grandson. "is that your little sister has gone on to see your grandfather in the Elysian fields. He's taking care of her now."

"What?" Shining Armor uttered. "No! No! No!" He wailed. Tears streaked down his face as he realized just what his grandmother meant.

His vision was blurred with tears as he turned and ran. He needed to get away from there as quickly as possible.

"Shiny!" Night Light called after his son and made to chase after him. Twinkle however laid her hoof on his shoulder, stopping him. "I'll go after him." She said, tears in her eyes. "You're needed in there." She pointed to the door where her daughter laid.

Night Light nodded. "Thank you." He said.

He turned to the door. He had paced in front of it for hours. And now he was afraid to go through. Afraid of what he'd find there.

The smell of blood assaulted his nose the moment he entered. A few nurses were still in the room, all of them giving him an apologetic look.

Twilight Velvet was laying in her bed. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched a wrapped bundle of blankets. "Night." She croaked as she saw the blue stallion enter the room. Night Light strode over to her. "She, she's…" She couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. Velvet broke down, sobbing over her loss.

Night Light didn't know what to say at this point.

What do you say to a mare that just lost her foal?

The nurses had ushered them into a clean room. They shouldn't stay there, they said.

The room they were in was white. And bald.

One of the nurses had gone ahead and quickly cleared out the festive balloons and decorations that had been put up.

The last thing Velvet needed right now was a party balloon proclaiming 'IT'S A FILLY!' in brightly colored letters.

"Miss Twilight." The nurse said. "You need to get some rest." Velvet nodded. The nurse offered to take the bundle from her.

"No!" Velvet nearly screamed. "Please, just let me hold her, please!"

The nurse backed away a bit and shot her a tiny apologetic smile. "Of course." She said.

"Get some rest dear." Night Light's voice was scrappy. His throat ached and his eyes burned. Most of all he wanted to just curl up next to Velvet and whisper to her, that everything would be alright by morning.

Instead, he stood up. "I'm going to find Shiny." He said. "He was pretty upset."

"Yes, of course." Velvet sniffed. "Poor Shining Armor." She said with a small voice. "He was so looking forward to-"

Tears began to flow freely again, making her unable to finish her sentence. "I know." Night Light said, laying a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

He didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone like this. But she needed her rest.

And he needed to find his son.

Ever so gently he closed the door behind him. He then walked over to the nearest wall and sat against it, slumping down as he began to wonder how they could go on with their lives after this.

After a few moments of soul-searching he stood up. Now was not the time for such thoughts.

Right now his son needed him. There would be time to consider his own feelings later.

Right now, he figured, his wellbeing didn't matter. Shining Armor came first.

As he trotted through the hallway, he spotted something on tile one hundred and twelve. Shining Armor's self-made toy…

He sighed as he picked it up. Shining would never forgive him if he just left it there.

Besides, he could see the effort Shining Armor had put into it. He truly wanted a little sister.

Tears filled his eyes as the realization sunk in. He placed the doll on his back and walked over to the nurse's station, hoping that one of them knew where his son and mother-in-law had gone.

Despair was such a nice emotion to feed off. More tangy than envy but more enjoyable than regret.

As the sound of hooves clopping on tiles steadily dimmed she made her move. Slinking out of the shadows she pushed her ear to the door. The sobs of the mourning mare had quieted down.

Her horn glowed and the handle was pushed down. Slowly and without a sound the door opened. She hurried inside and quickly closed the door once more, before the room's occupant could be roused by the light.

She skulked over to the bed, watching as the mare clung onto the bundle for dear life. Tears were pooling on the pillow, soaking it thoroughly.

Her horn flared and the bundle was wrenched away from the mare.

'Poor thing.' She thought to herself. 'Life snuffed out before it could even begin.'

Gently she lowered the bundle onto her back and pulled another one out of her saddlebag.

She laid it in the mare's hooves.

The mare, distraught by the sudden disappearance of her foal, began to stir. She calmed down though as the bundle returned to her hooves.

She turned and exited the room the same way she entered it, without a sound and without anypony noticing.

Night Light returned hours later, having brought Shining Armor home. The poor colt had hid himself in the cafeteria. One of Night Light's old schoolbuddies worked there and had looked after the little pony until Night Light came to get him.

He had found Twinkle as well, crying in the bathroom. He had never seen her like that. The elderly mare was always so stoic and reserved. But despite what he'd claim to anyone that asked, she wasn't made of stone either.

Celestia's sun was beginning to peek over the horizon by the time he made his way to Velvet's room.

He stood there, waiting.

For what, he had no idea.

After what felt like hours he pushed the door open.

Velvet was sleeping. The bundle was still held in her hooves.

He hadn't even seen his child yet, he realised.

Gingerly he lifted the bundle out of Velvet's hooves, careful not to disturb the somewhat peacefully sleeping Unicorn.

With a shaking hoof he unwrapped the blanket she was wrapped in.

…

…

She was beautiful. Tears sprung to his eyes as he watched her. Four little hooves, one little horn and a mess of a mane to boot.

He suppressed a sob as he delicately stroked her mane. He was so afraid that he'd hurt her.

She looked so fragile.

His hoof strayed a bit as he held her left front hoof. So tiny in comparison to his.

And barely any strength in it, even as she attempted to grab it and pull it close to her.

Night Light blinked.

So did she.

Big purple eyes looked at him curiously.

He gasped.

He was dreaming.

He had to be.

There was no way…

"Velvet. Wake up." He whispered urgently.

"Don't want to…" The white mare said, not wanting to open her eyes.

"She's alive." He couldn't believe that he was saying that.

Velvet's eyes shot open.

"Don't you say that!" She screamed. "She's not! She's-"

She was cut off by her foal, startled as she was by the sudden screams. The little filly proved that she was very much alive by crying loudly.

Velvet's eyes widened. "She's alive!" She cried out. "My baby's alive!"

Once more tears were shed, though now they were tears of happiness.

"And that's the story of my birth." Twilight concluded. "Mom still has the newspaper clippings. The reporters called me the 'miracle' foal."

"What a wonderful story." Rarity sighed.

"Wait a minute." Rainbow Dash said. "Let me get this straight: Your granny's called Twilight Twinkle. Your mom's called Twilight Velvet. Does that mean your name's actually Sparkle?"

Twilight rolled her eyes.

"Hey, what about that ominous cursive bit?" Pinkie asked.

"Bit? What bit? I didn't mention any bits." Twilight stared at her with a confused look on her face.

"You didn't?" Pinkie blinked. "Oh well, never mind then."

Applejack decided that it was best to just ignore Pinkie for the time being. "So that's why yer brother's so protective about you?"

Twilight nodded. "He always says that he already lost me once. He doesn't want it happening again." She let out a giggle. "He almost came to Ponyville with me when the princess sent me there. Jumped in the carriage as well."

"He sounds nice." Fluttershy said. "It'll be nice to finally meet him."

"The train will be arriving in Canterlot soon!" Twilight said, clopping her hooves together in glee. "And then I'm going to give my brother a stern talking-to! Just you wait Shining Armor! Getting married without me knowing!" She yelled out the window.

"Sure…" Rainbow Dash said. "Just relax Sparkle. There'll be plenty of time to kick your brother's rump when we actually get there."

"Don't call me that." Twilight said, sitting back down. "Not even my mom calls me that."

"Yeah yeah." Rainbow Dash waved her off and picked up her book once more. The book had 'Daring Do and the Mirror of Madness' written on it in curly golden letters and an image of Daring Do fighting some sort of imposter.

Twilight just sighed and looked out the window again. The royal city came closer and closer.

And with it that strange dome surrounding it.

Something was going on in Canterlot, but what?

Was it any good? Let me know.

And please, point out any grammatical errors I may have made. English isn't my main language, so I've probably messed up some bits.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Twilight stared intensely at the protective shield. It nearly obscured the entire city from view. She could make out most of the key buildings though.

"I wonder what that shield's for." She said to herself. The capitol was never sealed off; only in times of war would princess Celestia order a lockdown.

"That's easy." Rainbow Dash said, not looking up from her book. "To make sure the groom doesn't run away!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Yes Rainbow, they need a city-sized shield to keep Shining Armor from running off."

"Who was he marrying again?" Applejack asked. "Princess Mi a-something?"

"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." Twilight said, obviously annoyed. "And no, I have no idea who she is."

"Rarity, do you know?" Fluttershy asked.

The seamstress looked up. "I'm afraid not, my dear. I haven't been keeping up with the ins and outs of royalty since my meeting with Blueblood." She shuddered. "Perhaps she's one of Celestia's nieces. Or she could be from another kingdom."

"Or perhaps she's some kind of dark entity from beyond the mirror, hell-bent on destroying Equestria." Rainbow Dash said. "Just like in this book!"

"Rainbow, stop spoiling the story." Twilight grumbled. "I haven't read that one yet."

"Really?" Rainbow Dash sat up. "You're a bigger Daring Do fan than me. How come you haven't read it yet?"

"Because somepony crashed through my window, swiped my book and flew off!" Twilight complained. "Does that sound familiar?"

"Hehe, yes." Rainbow Dash smiled.

Twilight just sighed and sat down in her seat again, once more content to just sit and watch as the city came closer and closer.

"We're almost there!" Fluttershy cheered.

"Does that dome look like a big scoop of ice cream to anypony else?" Pinkie asked. "I wonder if it tastes like strawberries. Oh! Or maybe it's cherries!"

Twilight was rather oblivious to the inane discussion whether or not the protective shield tasted of strawberries or cherries.

Besides, everypony knew that protection spells taste like raspberries.

Twilight groaned. Her head was pounding. The closer they got to Canterlot, the worse her headache became.

"What's the matter darling?" Rarity asked. "You don't look so well."

"My head's hurting." Twilight muttered, rubbing her forehead. The pounding intensified, like something was forcing its way into her mind.

"Lay down for a bit." Applejack said, a concerned look on her face. "We're almost in Canterlot anyway and then you'll be able to get some fresh air."

"Good idea." Twilight said as she laid down. Maybe a bit of shuteye would help.

Good.

…

…

…

Just in time

…

…

…

Amaryllis

…

…

…

We are waiting for you

…

…

…

Wake up!

Twilight blinked.

"What was that about?" She asked herself.

"Huh?" Applejack looked at her. "You say something Twi?"

"It's nothing. Just a weird dream." Twilight said, suppressing a yawn. "Are we there yet?"

"You slept for only a few minutes." Fluttershy said. "We're just about to go through the shield." She said nervously. "It won't hurt, right?"

Twilight shook her head, before stealing a glance through the window. She could see that the locomotive had almost disappeared through the protective barrier, the pink energy rippling as the engine passed through it.

Dread filled Twilight for some reason as the shield came closer and closer.

She could sense its energy passing through the solid matter of the train as it slowed down.

Mere seconds later the pink energy found its way into their wagon.

It passed by the other ponies harmlessly.

But Twilight cringed and took an involuntary step back. Her headache became worse and worse as the shield came closer and closer.

It was almost upon her and…

Nothing.

The wall of energy just moved past her.

She just went through it and the dread she had been feeling disappeared instantly.

The headache remained though.

"I'm telling you, I'm fine." Twilight said once the train had stopped. "Look, if it means that much to you, I'll go see a doctor." She gave in. "After I've met with Shining Armor."

"We're just concerned for your wellbeing." Fluttershy said. "You won't be able to manage a wedding when you're not well."

"I know Fluttershy. And thanks for your concern." Twilight sighed. "It's just this whole wedding. Shining Armor and I have always been so close up until now. And he never even mentioned anything about a girlfriend and now he's suddenly getting married?"

"We understand how you feel." Rarity said. "Just go talk to him, okay?"

Twilight nodded.

Twilight bid her friends goodbye as they arrived at the castle. They would go on ahead and prepare for the wedding while she would head to the barracks, to give her brother a piece of her mind.

Which he was welcome to, as her headache was on the verge of becoming unbearable.

She quickly spotted her brother. He was the only stallion in gold and purple armor. And the only one who could actually pull that look off.

"Shining Armor!" She yelled. "I've got something to say to you!"

Immediately all spears in the vicinity were aimed at her, causing her to flinch and step back in fright.

"Stand down." Shining Armor bellowed from atop the stairs. "That's my little sister you're aiming your weapons at."

The spears were lowered instantly. Shining Armor gave his soldiers a disapproving glance, before turning to his sister.

In an instant his stoic look disappeared. "Twily!" He said cheerfully. "I'm so glad to see you kiddo!" He moved in to give her a hug, though Twilight simply walked past him.

"I'm angry with you Shiny." Twilight said, turning to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting married!"

"Oh that…" Shining Armor said, rubbing his neck in an awkward gesture.

"Oh that? Is that all you can say about it?" Twilight asked. "Look Shiny, I'm not really that angry." She sighed. "I'm sure you must have some reason not to tell me."

"I did." Shining Armor admitted. "And no, not because we've been growing apart." He said. "Don't give me that look Twilight, I know it crossed your mind."

Twilight glared at him. "Very funny Shiny. Us? Growing apart? Yeah right." Her gaze softened. "We write each other every week. You panic any time I mention doing something dangerous. Remember the Hydra?"

"Do I ever." Shining Armor laughed. Apparently Hydras had little to no respect for his authority. One of the heads even tried to eat him. Nothing a few dozen troops armed with pointy spears, and a bath couldn't fix.

"And besides, I'm part of your cutie mark." Twilight pointed at his flank. Even though the golden armor covered his mark, she knew it like her own.

"Remember how mom always said that you were her little protector?" Twilight teased.

"Do I? She wouldn't shut up about those three stars. Just like hers." Shining Armor groaned. "And then you got your cutie mark as well, a big purple star of all things. What a coincidence, eh kiddo?"

"Coincidence?" Twilight stuck out her tongue. "You wish. Dad was always going on and on about what you did when I was born. It took you three weeks before you wanted to sleep in your own bed again."

Shining Armor blushed. "It wasn't that bad. I had just lost you back then Twily. I didn't want it happening again."

"I know." Twilight hugged him. "I love you, my B.B.B.F.F."

"I love you too L.S.B.F.F." Shining Armor said.

One of the guards cleared his throat, to indicate that they were all still there.

"Oh, right." Shining Armor seamlessly slipped back into his role as commander. "Pegasi squads one and two, you may begin your sweep of downtown Canterlot. Report any suspicious activity to me. All others, return to your stations."

The royal guards did as they were told.

Twilight was impressed. She hadn't seen her brother in action yet.

It was obvious that he had earned the respect of his soldiers.

"Living the dream Shiny?" Twilight teased.

"Of course." Shining Armor said. "Now where were we?"

Twilight smiled and pulled a scroll of paper out of her saddlebag. "Let's see… I yelled at you. Check. Intimate apology, check. Reminiscing about childhood memories, check. Hug, check. That just leaves you explaining why you didn't tell me about the wedding." She rolled the scroll up again. "And what's up with that shield anyway?"

Shining Armor just groaned and took his helmet off. "Twily, I love you but I hate it when you do things like that." He laughed weakly as he rubbed his head. "You're making my migraine worse."

"Weird, I had a headache on the way here." Twilight said, rubbing her head as well. She still felt the ache but it wasn't as severe as before. "Still do, just not as bad." She admitted.

"Listen Twilight, you can't tell your friends about what I'm saying now." Shining Armor briefly slipped back into his commander state. "It's top secret and the only reason I'm trusting you with this, is because you're Princess Celestia's personal student." The armor-clad stallion said. "And because you're my little sister." He added.

Twilight leaned forward. "You want me to Pinkie-promise?"

"Huh? Pinkie, isn't she the mare that got you into that situation with the hydra?" Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. "Remind me to scold her on that later."

"I won't." Twilight said. "Look, a Pinkie-promise is a promise that you cannot break. CANNOT break." She emphasized that word.

"Or else what?" Shining Armor asked.

"You'll lose the other pony's trust." Twilight explained.

"FOREVER!"

"Ignore that." Twilight said, ignoring Pinkie's warning echoing through the courtyard. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my-Ow!"

"I figure that wasn't supposed to happen?" Shining Armor chuckled as Twilight gently cupped her eye with her hoof.

"No." Twilight admitted. Now she had a headache and a sore eye to boot. "Now tell me: what's the big deal?"

"The shield and the reason I couldn't tell you about the wedding earlier are one and the same. Canterlot is under attack." Shining Armor said. Simple and clear, he figured.

"Wh-what?" Twilight uttered, panic clear on her face. "By who? Why?"

"Calm down Twilight." Shining Armor said, laying his front left hoof on her shoulder. "I may have been a bit too direct. Last month the Pegasi of squad twelve intercepted a courier. The courier himself got away but we managed to get the message he was carrying. It was written in some kind of code. Our top decoders are still busy decoding it." He grumbled in annoyance. "All they got out of it were a few random words."

"What did they say?" Twilight asked. Her curiosity was piqued. Who, in their right mind, would want to attack Canterlot?

And to use codes that even the royal researchers couldn't completely crack.

Whoever they were, they had thought this through.

Shining Armor pulled a piece of paper from his helmet. "You still keep your notes there?" Twilight stifled a laugh.

"Last place anypony'll ever look." Shining Armor handed her the note.

Twilight looked it over. The note held a bunch of squiggly lines and holes in it. "This is a copy, right?"

"Sort of." Shining Armor said. "The parts we could decode are filled in."

'Assemble - -Canterlot-Be prepared-' The first paragraph read. '-Royal W-' the rest of the paragraphs were indecipherable.

"Assemble, Canterlot, be prepared?" Twilight was confused.

"I know, it sounds like a whole lot of gibberish." Shining Armor said. "Okay, a little bit of gibberish. Only six or so words translated. And very freely at that. We're not even sure if the 'w' stand for wedding."

Twilight looked the paper over again. And again. "It's not complete." She eventually concluded. "Like there's a part missing, I think."

"How can you tell?" Shining Armor asked, moving besides his sister and looking over her shoulder.

Twilight pointed at two identical sets of squiggly lines. "See these two parts? They look exactly the same. Why would anypony write the same sentence twice? And so close to each other? Unless they have a different meaning, which would require another note to know." She concluded, looking rather pleased with herself. "At least, that's what I think is wrong with it. I'd need time to figure it out entirely."

"I don't know." Shining Armor admitted. He took the paper from Twilight again. "All I know is that we've sealed off Canterlot so the wedding can still continue. Ponies love their royalty after all." He smiled.

"Speaking of royalty…" Twilight started. "Who in Equestria is 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza' anyway?"

Shining Armor just smiled.

Twilight didn't like that smile. Her brother always got that smile when he was about to do something mischievous. Or stupid. Or both. Usually both.

"You'll see." Shining Armor said. "We'll go and meet her in a minute. I need to do just one more thing." He winked at her. "You're not the only one proficient with magic." He aimed his horn upwards, towards the shield.

His magic flared, a beam of light erupting from his horn and into the shield. It shimmered as it absorbed the energy, recharging itself.

Shining Armor gripped his head, his face twisted in pain. "Pretty neat huh? Only I can keep it up. Nothing can come through, unless I or the princesses allow it." He said with a strained voice, though his face quickly cleared up, followed by a big smile.

"Wow." Twilight snickered. "Your shield is pink." She teased, though she was visibly impressed as well. A shield this big required an awful lot of power.

Shining Armor nodded. "And it tastes like raspberries. Come on, let's go!"

Twilight followed him. Her headache suddenly flared up again. "Are you okay?" Shining Armor asked.

"I'm fine." Twilight said. "Just a headache. It comes and goes. Nothing to worry about."

"Mi Amore can help with that. She's been helping me with my migraine." Shining Armor said proudly. "She may not be a medical pony but she knows her way around a headache."

The two of them made their way into the castle.

And into the royal living quarters.

Shining Armor stopped at a door.

One that seemed oddly familiar to Twilight.

He knocked on the door. "Mi Amore?" He called out. "Are you decent?"

"Don't come in!" Sounded through the door, causing Twilight's ears to perk up. She recognized that voice. "I'm trying on my wedding dress!"

"There's someone else here to see you, can I let her in?" Shining Armor asked.

"Is it who I think it is?"

"Of course." Shining Armor grinned. He turned to Twilight. "Go on in kiddo. I'll wait here."

Twilight nodded and opened the door.

"Hello?" She quickly closed the door behind her. She knew her brother. Given the chance, he'd follow his curiosity and try and sneak a peek anyway.

"Oh hello darling." Twilight recognized that voice as well.

"Hi Rarity. I'm here to see Princess Mi Amore Cadenza." She rolled her eyes.

"You can call me Cadance, Twilight." A pink Alicorn stepped out from behind an ivory dressing screen.

Twilight's jaw dropped.

"Is something wrong Twilight?" Rarity asked. Twilight didn't respond. Nor did she move. At all.

"I think she's in shock." Cadance said. "See?" She waved a hoof in front of Twilight's unblinking eyes.

Cadance clapped her hooves in front of Twilight. "Twily, snap out of it!"

"Huh?" Twilight said. "Oh hi Cadance." Her eyes widened. "Cadence! Oh my gosh! You're marrying Shining Armor!"

"Well, I am wearing the wedding dress after all." Cadance smirked. "By the way, miss Rarity." She turned to Rarity. "Would you mind if we changed the design a little bit? I have a thing for long trains. At least 7 yards." She said. "If it's not too much trouble?"

"Of course not dear." Rarity said. "Anything for you, especially for such a special day."

Twilight took a step back to look at the dress. It was lovely. She'd never understand how Rarity could pull off such masterworks in such a short time.

To her, it seemed like a sin to change anything about it now. It was perfect the way it was.

But it was Cadance's wedding day, not hers.

"So Cadance, are you ready to go oversee the rest of the preparations?" She asked, eager to spend some time with her former foalsitter and future sister-in-law. She pulled out a checklist. "See, I've prepared a list of everything we need to check."

"That's lovely Twilight." Cadance said. "But there's been a change of plans."

"Huh?" Twilight was confused. "But Princess Celestia herself asked me to-"

"I know, I know." Cadance waved her off. "But I can take care of those things on my own. Believe it or not, I am a total control freak."

"Oh, I see." Twilight said sullenly.

Cadance rubbed the side of Twilight's face in a comforting gesture. "Hey, no frowns here, okay?" She smiled. "And besides, I have a far more important task for you."

"Really?" That cheered her up a bit. "What can I do?"

"I want you to take Shining Armor and go visit your parents. Go do something fun, just the four of you." Cadance said. "I know you haven't seen them since you left for Ponyville. And that's almost been a year, right?"

"Right." Now that she thought about it, it had been way too long since she saw her parents in person. Letters helped, of course. But it just wasn't the same. "That's a great idea Cadance. But are you sure you'll be able to handle it without me?"

"Of course Twilight." Cadance said reassuringly. "And besides, Shining Armor needs some time off. The shield has been very strenuous for him." Worry was clear on her face, though her expression quickly changed to one of amusement. "Now just go get that fiancé of mine and get going."

"Right." Twilight smiled, though a pounding in her head made itself known again. "Before I go, could you help me with my headache? Shiny said that you're the go-to mare for that."

"Of course Twily." Cadance's horn glowed green as she lowered it to Twilight's. "This might sting a little."

Twilight braced herself but hardly felt anything. Just a warm glow that coursed over her whole body.

The pain instantly disappeared and Twilight's head cleared up. In fact, she felt better than ever!

"Wow." Twilight gasped. "Since when have you been a medic pony?"

"I picked it up somewhere along the road." Cadance said. "I suppose that you need another dose of medicine as well? Shining Armor?" She said, increasing the volume as she called for her groom.

"I'm not listening in!" Shining Armor yelled through the door. "Okay, maybe a little bit."

Twilight and Cadance looked at each other and spoke in unison. "Boys." And rolled their eyes.

"I'll go undress, then I'll play doctor again." Cadance said, disappearing behind the dressing screen once more.

"So you do know her?" Rarity asked, interest and a hint of wonder in her expression.

"Of course, Cadance was my foalsitter when I was just a little filly." Twilight said with pride clear in her voice. "We even had a little song and dance back then. Hey Cadance, care to sing with me?" She asked with a broad smile.

"Maybe later Twilight, if you don't mind." Cadance said as she fiddled with the straps to her gown.

"Oh, okay." Twilight said, her ears drooping a bit.

"Okay, I'm ready." Cadance said, stepping out from behind the screen. "Send in the next patient."

Shining Armor opened the door, though he still held one hoof in front of his eyes. "Is the coast clear? Are you decent?"

"We're all naked." Twilight joked.

"Egads!" Shining Armor exclaimed, before lowering his hoof.

"Very funny." Cadance said. "Now get over here, so I can take a look at you." Her horn glowed with magic as Shining Armor approached. Cadance looked him over, before just lowering her horn to his.

Sparks erupted from where they met. Shining Armor cried out in pain, even sinking to his knees in the end.

"Shiny!" Twilight screamed, hurrying to his side to help him up.

Cadance removed her horn and panted. "That's the worst one yet." She said. "That shield is getting too dangerous to hold up Shiny. It's hurting you!"

"I know, I know." Shining Armor's eyes had finally stopped spinning as Twilight helped him to all fours. "It's just one more day, I promise."

"I'm keeping you to that." Cadance said. "I'm just so worried about you."

"I'm fine, really." Shining Armor said wearily. "Just a little drained."

"How's the headache?" Twilight asked.

"Gone." Shining Armor said. "For now at least."

"Good." Twilight smiled. "That means that we're going home to see Mom and Dad. And then we'll have a day full of fun!" She said with glee. "I'm pretty sure that I have a checklist for fun days on me somewhere."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Pardon my interruption, but has she always done this?"

Shining Armor and Cadance looked at each other. "Yes." They said in unison.

Cadance and Rarity watched as the siblings left for downtown Canterlot.

"Have fun you two!" Cadance called after them, before turning to Rarity. "Now miss Rarity, where were we?"

"You asked for a longer train?" Rarity offered.

"Ah yes. Seven yards, at least." Cadance said.

"I doubt I have that amount of fabric on me." Rarity admitted. "And I seem to have misplaced my supplies as well." Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

"Can you get more?" Cadance asked.

"Of course." Rarity said. "My main supplier is from Canterlot. I'm sure she won't mind me picking up some supplies there. Especially considering whose dress they're going to." She said with glee. "I'm sorry princess, I'm just so excited about doing this for you."

"Of course." The pink princess said. "Now, do you mind? I still need to check up on the rest of the preparations." She hurried Rarity out the door. "Turn to Brass Bit for money to pay for your expenses, he will help you. He's the blue colt with the green mane."

She slammed the door shut, so she didn't notice Rarity shuddering at the mere mention of a green mane.

"Finally." Cadance said to herself as the sound of hooves grew quiet. "I thought that Unicorn would never leave." She turned to the mirror, watching with mild interest as her eyes flickered to green.

Cadance hurried down the stairs. She took care not to let anypony see her, sticking to the shadows as she went.

After all, what would a princess want with the musty old dungeons?

The door slammed shut behind her, the deadbolt locking into place. Nopony would come looking for her there.

And even if they did, the locked door would keep them at bay long enough.

Green flames erupted around her in a tight circle. The cold stone gave way and she slowly sank into the ground.

Deep underneath the dungeons were the crystal caverns, lined with massive chunks of reflective minerals.

She liked these caverns. They were dark yet illuminated by an eerie light, coming off from the more exceptional gemstones that rested in the stone walls.

And the mirrors.

She adored the mirrors.

But that wasn't what she was here for. She took a moment to dump a gem studded saddlebag into the nearby abyss, along with the rest of the rolls of fabric she had swiped while Rarity wasn't looking.

"Cadance my dear." She spoke with a smirk on her face. "I've come for another visit. How are you holding up?" She asked, faking concern. "All alone in a cold, dark cavern? Nopony coming to rescue you. Nopony that even knows you're here?"

"Sh-shut up!" A malnourished Alicorn limped out from behind a crystal pillar. "What do you want now?"

"More information." The other Cadance said. "She spoke of a song. And a dance. I don't want to rouse suspicion just yet. Tell me, and I may leave behind some supplies for you."

"Why do you want to know?" Cadance hissed in pain as she came closer to the imposter. "If you dare to hurt Twilight, I will-"

The other Cadance slapped her, sending her flying to the ground. "You dare suggest that I would hurt her?"

"You're hurting Shining Armor!" Cadance wheezed as she tried to crawl to a sitting position.

"Honestly dear, that's more your fault than mine." The other Cadance said. "Shining Armor has so much love to give. And he's wasting it all on you. I'm just making sure it ends up in the right place."

"You monster!" Cadance screamed.

"Monster? Perhaps." The other Cadance said. "Tell me princess, how far would you go? To make sure that your child gets everything she needs to grow?"

"Child?" Cadance shivered. "No, no! You're lying! You have to be, you can't be serious!"

"Oh, but I am." The other Cadance smirked.

Cadance shuddered as she looked at her own face, her own lips pulled into such a frightful state. The only difference was those sickening green eyes.

"Now, the song and dance? Please?" The other Cadance said, remembering why she had come down here in the first place. "Or Shining Armor might find himself drained of more than just his love."

Cadance gritted her teeth. She didn't want to give in to this imposter.

But she had direct access to Shining Armor and could hurt him very badly.

And she wanted Twilight as well. She didn't understand how or why but her favorite little filly was, perhaps unknowingly, involved in all this.

She sighed. She had to protect them, somehow. Any way that was possible for her at the moment.

"Sunshine, sunshine…"

Too much dialogue? Tell me. I felt it was necessary though, because the real episode explained very little about the threat at hand, so I decided to flesh it out a bit. Plus throw in some fond memories for Twilight and Shining Armor to reminisce over.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Sunshine, sunshine. Ladybugs awake." Cadance sang to herself. "Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" She had been singing it the last half hour, memorizing the childish rhyme. Just in case Twilight asked for it again.

The real Cadance had been a wellspring of information about the purple Unicorn. One of the reasons she had decided on taking her form as a disguise.

Cadance looked in the mirror. Shining Armor's parents had a nice place, in the middle of downtown Canterlot. Though she didn't quite understand the need for such a small mirror.

She loved mirrors.

They showed her what she looked like. What she wanted to look like. What others saw when they saw her.

Foolish ponies, fawning over her beauty and title. Her lips pulled into a grin, sharp canines visible.

If only they knew what lay underneath the fluffy pink coat. Flames flickered in and out of existence around her form.

Would they still flatter her if she had a coat as black as the night? Would they complement her on an uneven, hole riddled mane? Probably not.

She knew that they would cower before her. That they would turn to violence and move against her in fear.

And fear wasn't that interesting to feed on. It did nothing to still her hunger. It always kept her longing for more.

"Sunshine, sunshine." She sang, her voice slightly distorted. "Ladybugs awake, clap your hooves and do a little shake!" The rhyme was downright terrifying in the way she told it.

"Just one more day, my Amaryllis." She said, fixing her disguise once more and dispelling the wards on the room. "Then we will be together at last."

Cadance could hear the door unlocking, signaling the return of her soon to be husband and his sister and parents. "That was one awkward Nightmare Night." She heard Shining Armor say with a laugh.

"You were the one that put me up to it Shiny." Twilight grumbled. "I was five and dressed like Daring Do, I didn't know better."

"How long did the fire brigade need to get you out of that tree? Two hours?" The white stallion teased.

"Three." Twilight grunted. "Three hours! And I didn't get any candy out of it either."

"I remember when you were dressed like Princess Celestia." Twilight Velvet said with a smile on her face. "You were so cute. And you had Shining Armor with you as your royal guard."

"Shiny took his role a bit too serious ." Twilight stuck her tongue out. "He didn't let me do anything fun. Barely got any candy too."

"Hey, I had to protect my princess, didn't I?" Shining Armor defended himself. "Who knew what lurked behind all those doors?"

"Ponies." Twilight said. "With candy. Free candy! That's the best kind of candy!"

"Sounds like the four of you had a good time." Cadance had been listening in from atop the stairs, only now making herself known.

"Hi Cadance!" Twilight said, forgetting about the candy discussion. "And yeah, we had fun! We went bowling!"

Shining Armor nodded. "We had fun. Thank you Cadance, you were right. I really needed to get away from things for a bit. Spend some time with my family."

"Hope you enjoyed it." Cadance said with a sweet smile. "Because after tomorrow, you'll be all mine."

Shining Armor laughed at that. "Of course dear."

"Is everypony ready?" Night Light asked, checking his watch. "The rehearsal is in half an hour, so we best make our way to the castle."

"So Twilight…" Twilight Velvet started as they made their way to the castle on hoof. "Do you have a special somepony yet?"

"Mom!" Twilight whined. "No, I do not."

Shining Armor stared at her. His eyes narrowed. "You're not telling us something Twily." He accused her though his tone stayed lighthearted.

"Okay, I may have a little crush." Twilight's cheeks flushed crimson as she thought about the tan colt she fancied just a little bit.

"That's good to hear." Night Light said. "When's the wedding?"

"Daddy, when I said 'little' crush, I meant little." Twilight said. "And can we not talk about this? You can worry about my love life after these two get married." She pointed at Shining Armor and Cadance.

"Just teasing you a bit." Night Light said as he rubbed Twilight's mane. "What kind of father would I be if I didn't?"

"Don't answer that." Velvet said to Twilight, who had opened her mouth to retort with something sarcastic and probably insulting.

"Anyway, what do I do?" Twilight asked, changing the subject. "At the wedding, I mean. Do I just sit there? Do I say anything?"

"Your job will be the easiest." Shining Armor said. "You just have to stand next to me and smile."

"Stand next to you?" Twilight asked. "But that's where-" She trailed off as she saw Shining Armor's smile.

"Twilight? Will you be my best mare?" Shining Armor asked.

"Of course!" Twilight said with glee. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She hopped around like a filly that just got her cutie mark. "Thank you so much Shiny!"

"Any time kiddo." Shining Armor said.

They soon arrived at the castle. Princess Celestia was waiting for them, eager to practice her own lines. "It's been ages since I last performed a wedding." She said as she took her spot.

"Dearly beloved." She started. "We have gathered here today…"

Twilight tuned her out as she turned to her friends, sitting in the front row. Since she had no real job to practice anyway, other than look pretty and smile, she decided to sit there with them. At least until Cadance came in.

"How were the preparations?" She asked, her voice a whisper so she wouldn't disturb Celestia.

"Mighty fine." Applejack said. "Had to bake the cake again though. First one tipped over and landed on the pastry chef. There was frosting everywhere!"

"If only it could have landed on that pompous prince." Rarity sighed. A mare could dream. "The dress is done." She said. "And I made some outfits for us as well. Other than that, I've spent the rest of the day looking for my saddlebags and supplies."

"You lost them?" Twilight asked.

Rarity nodded. "I know, can you believe it? I just can't figure out how. Luckily I was able to obtain some more supplies."

"Strange." Twilight said, Rarity was usually so proficient with finding lost things. "I'm sure you'll find them sooner or later." She added.

Rarity nodded, though a look of worry still adorned her face.

"The party's been planned." Pinkie said. "Streamers, confetti, party hats. Everything is accounted for! Except the record for the Pony Pokey. Somepony scratched it up and used it as a Frisbee. And broke it into pieces." Pinkie mused. "And then they set it on fire."

She leaned in closer to Twilight. "I have the sneaking suspicion that somepony doesn't like the Pony Pokey."

Twilight nodded. "We'll find the culprit after the wedding, okay?"

"No worry, I brought my own copy!" Pinkie pulled a record out from under her seat.

"The birds are all ready too." Fluttershy said as Twilight turned to her. "We practiced for hours and hours, until it was just right." Her face turned to a worried look. "I just hope that they'll be rested by tomorrow."

Twilight nodded. "Wow, some setbacks. But I suppose that's what happens when you plan the most prestigious wedding of the century."

"Speaking of planning, where the hay were you?" Rainbow Dash asked. A thought occurred to her. "And Spike for that matter?"

Twilight frowned. "I haven't seen Spike either. Knowing him, he's probably hanging out with Hoity Toity or maybe Doughnut Joe.

"Anyway, I was out with Shining Armor and my parents." Twilight said as her face cleared up a bit. "Shiny's been under a lot of stress lately, so Cadance told us to go and have some fun!"

"So the two of you are okay?" Applejack asked. "Not angry anymore?"

"Of course not." Twilight said. "We sorted things out."

"That's good to hear." Pinkie Pie said.

"And your headaches?" Fluttershyy asked.

"Just fine." Twilight said. "Cadance fixed them for me."

"Cadance? Is she a-" Fluttershy was cut off by the doors opening behind them.

Cadance walked in, beginning her slow trek to the front of the aisle, where Shining Armor awaited her.

Twilight leapt off her seat and hurried to stand next to her brother.

"I hope you don't plan on doing that tomorrow." Shining Armor nudged her playfully.

Twilight just rolled her eyes in reply. She then turned to watch as Cadance approached. Her old foalsitter looked so beautiful, even without the wedding dress.

Her eyes met with Cadance's.

A wave of pain descended over her, enveloping her mind. Her head felt like it was going to crack and split open!

And then Twilight fell to the ground.

"My head…" Twilight muttered.

"Are you okay? Speak to me Twilight." She vaguely recognized Shining Armor's voice.

"Yeah, sure." She said groggily as she scrambled to get to her hooves. "My head's pounding again."

"Let me take a look." Cadance said. She lowered her horn to Twilight's.

Again Twilight felt the warm glow come over her, covering her entire body. Instantly the headache disappeared. "Thanks Cadance, you're a lifesaver."

"Any time Twily." Cadance said.

"Twilight, you should go home." Shining Armor said. "It's getting late and you're going to need your rest. Trust me, big brother knows best." He ruffled Twilight's mane.

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Good thing I have you looking after me."

"Come on sugarcube, ah'll escort ya home." Applejack said.

"Let me." Cadance interrupted. "In case she gets another headache on the way home."

Applejack shrugged. "Fine by me. Ain't it kinda hard to have a rehearsal without the bride?"

"I'll be back soon." Cadance said, draping a wing over a still groggy Twilight.

"See you guys tomorrow." Twilight said, waving at her friends and her mentor.

"Thanks for bringing me home Cadance." Twilight said once they came back to her family's house.

"Sure thing Twily." Cadance said. "Now scoot, off to bed."

Twilight smiled. "Of course." She absently scratched at her back. Unbeknownst to her, plucks of her coat were falling off, dropping onto the carpet.

Cadance noticed this. "Want me to tuck you in? One last time?" She offered with a sweet smile on her face.

Twilight stared at her. And blushed. "Would you do that for me?"

Cadance winked. "Of course. No matter how grown up you get, you're still my favorite little filly."

Twilight led the way, shedding more hair on the way there, which Cadance destroyed before it could even hit the ground, her magic wiping it from existence.

"Cadance, I don't feel so good." Twilight said once they got to her old room.

"Just get into bed." Cadance pushed the door open, revealing a made bed. Velvet had prepared it for her daughter's arrival. "And I promise, tomorrow everything will be better."

"I believe you." Twilight said, pushing the sheets off the bed and climbing in. Her hoof caught something. "Is this… hair?"

"Sleep." Cadance touched her horn to Twilight's. Twilight dropped like a stone, snoring softly. "Sleep tight, sweet Amaryllis. Tomorrow everything WILL be better." She covered the sleeping Unicorn and quietly made her leave, locking the door behind her.

"Now where were we?" Cadance asked as she entered the chapel once more.

"How's Twilight?" Shining Armor asked.

"She's fine. Sleeping like a foal right now." Cadance said.

"That's good to hear." Celestia said. "And I believe that we were just about to commence the ceremony itself."

Cadance nodded and took her place next to Shining Armor.

"Ahem, dearly beloved…"

Applejack yawned obnoxiously, much to the dismay of Rarity. "Honestly Applejack, hold your hoof in front of your mouth when you yawn." She scoffed.

"Ah'm sorry Rarity. Ah'm just so tired." They all were. Cadance had insisted that they practice ten times, to get it right. "Why the hay did we even have to stay?"

"Because the princess asked it of us." Rarity said. "It's a great honor to be so involved in a wedding of this magnitude."

"I'd rather get involved with my bed." Rainbow Dash muttered. "Let's just get to the hotel now."

It was well past three in the morning when the five ponies retired to their hotel. Twilight Velvet and Night Light went home as well, leaving Celestia, Shining Armor and Cadance at the castle.

"I'll be taking my leave as well." Celestia said. "I should have been in bed hours ago. Better go, before Luna accuses me of trying to steal her night again."

"We are watching you sister dearest!" Luna yelled from atop her watchtower.

Celestia facehoofed and walked off, bidding the soon to be wed couple good night.

"You want to go for a late-night stroll?" Cadance asked.

"I don't know, shouldn't we get to bed as well?" Shining Armor asked. "We have a busy day tomorrow and- Aah!"

Cadance's horn glowed green. "That wasn't a question my love."

"Of course." Shining Armor's eyes turned green. "Let's go for a walk."

"Good night aunty Luna!" Cadance yelled at Princess Luna, confident that the watchful mare had seen nothing.

"Yes, we bid you good night as well." Luna said absentmindedly as she peered into her spyglass.

The pair quickly arrived at Cadance's intended destination, the shield. "Shining Armor, my dearest. You are certain that Luna can't see us here?"

Shining Armor nodded.

"And you are certain that no guards will pass this spot tonight?" Cadance pressed on.

"Of course." Shining Armor said with a monotone voice.

"Good. That means it's showtime." Cadance closed her eyes. Her horn glowed.

In downtown Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle shivered in her bed.

Cadance opened her eyes again. A smile formed as dozens of blue eyes glowed in the darkness beyond the shield.

"My children." She said, affection clear in her voice. "Shining Armor, be a dear and let them in."

Shining Armor nodded. His horn glowed and a part of the shield dissolved.

Dozens of black creatures stepped through. "Ready to serve." One said. "Ready to serve." The others mimicked as one.

"Good." Cadance said. "We go ahead as planned. Assume disguises. Mingle amongst the populace. Unicorns outnumber Pegasi and Earth ponies three to one. Adjust accordingly." She tossed her saddlebag to the ground in front of one of the Changelings. "There are invitations in there. You're all invited."

"We are honored." They said as one.

"All of you… except you two." Cadance pointed at two changelings. "I have a very special mission for the two of you." The two changelings looked at each other, before turning to their queen and nodding.

Many ponies woke up early, just so they could see Princess Luna lower the moon and Princess Celestia raise the sun. They made a display of it, to signal that today would be a very special day.

"Rest well my sister." Celestia said as Luna moved to take her leave. "Are you sure that you will not attend the wedding?" She asked one last time.

"Neigh sister." Luna said. "We must slumber. The day is yours, as are all the events that partake in its glow."

"Uh-huh." Celestia said. "You just don't want to give a speech, do you?"

"That too." Luna admitted. "We shall see you at the celebrations later today." With that, Luna leapt into the sky with wings unfurled. A flash of her horn made an alicorn-sized hole in the shield, which quickly closed behind her.

Celestia watched her sister take off. "One day Luna, one day." She said, even though nopony heard her. "One day you will allow yourself to be loved once more."

The sound of bells ringing filled her ears, signaling to everypony that today was indeed a very special day.

Celestia took off. She still had some time to finish preparing for the ceremony.

"Twilight, quit squirming." Velvet said as she zipped up Twilight's dress. Rarity had whipped up some designs for the six of them to wear, using what she had left from Cadance's dress and some additional supplies.

"I'm sorry mother, I'm just so excited!" Twilight said. "It's not every day that your brother marries a princess."

"Where the hay are Rarity and Fluttershy?" Applejack groaned. "Ah swear, if they're 'fashionably late' again ah'll hogtie em!"

"You sure are anxious about this wedding." Night Light noted.

"Of course! The Apple family name is at stake here. All of the Canterlot nobles'll be eating from the cake ah baked with apples from our farm." Applejack said with pride and a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Hey Sparkle, have you seen Spike yet?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Because I'm getting a bit worried." She coughed. "Just a bit, mind you."

Twilight just shook her head.

"Where could that baby dragon have gone?" Pinkie Pie pondered, before letting out an obnoxious and overly loud yawn. "Sorry, just a bit tired from last night. Which is odd because I-"

Pinkie stopped talking as the door to the Twilight residence swung open.

"Well, speak of the devil." Applejack snorted. "Spike, where've you been?"

"Bachelor party." Spike said, his eyes wide and red. "One hell of a bachelor party might I add. You should have come."

"Spike, you disappeared without a word." Pinkie said, picking the dragon up and shaking him. "And you had a party without me!"

"Whoops." Spike shrugged in Pinkie's grip. Sleep deprivation was not something he was familiar with.

"Spike… is that a tattoo?" Rainbow Dash asked as Pinkie put him down again. The Pegasus ran over to him. "Oh my Celestia! It is!"

"Huh?" Spike looked at his left arm. A big red heart was inked on his upper arm, a small purple star in it and underneath stood 'mother' in curly letters. "I hope that's a rub-on tattoo."

"Well, at least Spike had fun last night." Twilight admitted.

"Apparently." Spike gingerly touched the tattoo. It still felt a bit sore.

"What's this?" Pinkie picked up a little note. "See you around Spikey, kisses – Buttercup?" She handed the note to Spike.

"Who is Buttercup?" Twilight asked.

"Wish I knew." Spike admitted. Last night was a bit too muddled right now.

Twilight sighed. "Look, can we worry about this later? We have a wedding to attend!"

"Of course." Velvet said. "Let's just get Spike dressed and we'll be off."

"Huh? Oh right. Wedding." Spike said groggily.

"What about Fluttershy and Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"They'll come if they know what's good for them." Twilight said. Applejack and Rainbow Dash exchanged a look of concern and worry between them, though neither of them acted on it.

The wedding went according to plans.

The bride was beautiful, the groom was handsome, the best mare smiled and looked pretty and Spike only lost the rings once.

By now the ceremony was nearing its end.

Celestia smiled as she came to her favorite part of the ceremony.

"And let anypony who opposes the union of this mare and this stallion speak now." Celestia said. "Or forever hold their peace." A quick glare was fitted in, just to make sure nopony gave a peep.

"Nopony? Well then I declare you mare and-"

"STOP!" A voice boomed through the chapel. Ponies gasped, others fainted.

"Rarity?" Applejack uttered, getting up from her seat. "What in tarnation are ya doing?"

"She's a fraud!" Rarity accused, stepping forward as she pointed an accusing hoof towards the bride. A red heart-shaped gem hung from a chain around her neck. "She is not Princess Cadance, she's a monster hiding under her skin!"

Cadance gasped. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Why must you ruin my special day!" She sniffed.

"Because it's supposed to be my special day!"

Even more ponies gasped.

Fluttershy walked in, doing her best to support a weakened Alicorn. "Get away from my fiancé!"

"You have been found out, you imposter!" Rarity yelled.

"How?" The other Cadance asked, her tears drying up. "How did you find her?"

"Well that was easy." Rarity said.

"Rarity? Are you sure that your gem is in this cold scary cavern?" Fluttershy squeaked.

"Apparently." Rarity said. "My spell is pointing in this direction… right here." Rarity stopped in front of a chasm. "This isn't right." She said.

"D-do you think it's down there?" Fluttershy asked.

Rarity nodded. "Fluttershy my dear, would you mind sneaking a peek down there?"

Fluttershy gulped but nodded anyway.

Rarity watched as her friend floated down the abyss, only to come back up mere moments later. "It's not that deep." Fluttershy said. "Look, I found your saddlebag."

Rarity quickly opened it up and pulled out her fire ruby necklace. "My little Spikey-Wikey's gift! Oh I thought I'd never see you again." She kissed it affectionately.

"There were rolls of fabric down there as well." Fluttershy noted.

Rarity blinked. "Really?"

"Yes." Fluttershy nodded. "Somepony must have tossed them down there. But why?"

"To distract you." A voice was heard. A weakened Alicorn came around a crystal pillar. "Please, help me."

"And now your game is over." Rarity said smugly.

"Blast." The other Cadance muttered.

"Show your real face Changeling." Cadance said. "Show them!"

"I might as well indulge you." The other Cadance said.

An inferno raged around her. Green flames moved around her, engulfing her. Pink fur turned black, a perfectly styled mane turned weathered and frayed. Wings shed, revealing a membrane underneath.

And perfectly straight and white teeth turned sharp and wicked.

Ponies screamed in fright as the creature emerged from the flames. "Much better." Chrysalis said as she stretched her wings. "I've been holding up that disguise for far too long."

"Who are you?" Princess Celestia demanded. "And why did you attack my niece?"

"My name is Chrysalis." She said. "But you will refer to me as 'Queen' Chrysalis. As for the why, I needed Shining Armor's love."

Cadance's eyes widened as she remembered what her imposter had told her before. "Twilight!" She shrieked. "Get away from her! Run!"

Twilight backed away slowly, only to be caught in a cage of fire, along with her brother. The flames solidified into rigid steel bars. "Going somewhere?" Chrysalis smirked as her horn dimmed. "Good luck breaking out of that."

"You won't get away with this." Celestia said, stepping forward. "Release my student and my captain and you will be given a chance to surrender."

"You think I didn't come prepared?" Chrysalis laughed. Random ponies in the crowd laughed with her.

Panic broke out in the crowd as various ponies erupted in flames, their disguises burning away to reveal the Changelings within.

"There must be dozens!" Rarity uttered as more and more Changelings revealed themselves and took to the air.

The chapel quickly cleared as most of the guests fled away, leaving just them and the Changelings hovering above them.

"You are threatening my subjects." Celestia said, her voice as cold as steel. "I will protect my subjects, using lethal force if I have to. Surrender now, or face the wrath of the sun itself!"

"I'm so scared right now." Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Let's see if you can land a hit, your majesty."

Celestia's eyes narrowed. Light erupted from her horn. It condensed into a single beam that she fired at Chrysalis. Despite her claims, she did not aim to kill, merely to wound and subdue.

So she was pretty surprised when Chrysalis actually moved into the beam of light, taking it head on.

A small explosion occurred, seemingly taking Chrysalis down.

"Uh, princess…" Somepony moaned from the smoldering crater the spell had left. "Please, please don't hurt me."

"Hurt you? I-" Celestia froze when the smoke cleared. Her eyes were wide with shock. A Unicorn with a bright yellow coat and red mane crawled out of the crater ."Starlight? Is that you?" Celestia couldn't believe her eyes.

"Starlight?" Celestia repeated, taking a few tentative steps towards the wounded filly.

"Surprise!" The yellow pony said once Celestia was close enough. Her horn crackled with green lightning.

The unsuspecting Alicorn was blasted at pointblank range. The force of the spell was enough to send her flying into the altar, shattering the marble slab on impact.

Her tiara clattered to the ground dramatically.

'Starlight' let out a mocking laugh as flames erupted around her. She turned back into the Changeling queen.

"Too easy Celestia." Chrysalis said, sauntering over to the fallen headdress. "For a moment I thought you didn't recognize me." She picked it up with her magic and gazed into the reflective gold, taking a moment to revel in her own reflection.

"Y-you are not her!" Celestia gritted her teeth in pain.

"No, not anymore." Chrysalis said, tossing the tiara to the ground in front of Celestia. "I haven't been so in a long, long time. But I digress." She grinned, baring her teeth. "I am here to claim my prize."

"You will never take Canterlot!" Celestia roared in anger.

"Canterlot? Oh that will be a nice bonus, yes." Chrysalis said nonchalantly. "The real prize here is in that cage. Your student is mine!" Twilight let out a squeak of fright as she heard that.

"No! I will not allow it!" Celestia struggled to get to her hooves as she saw Twilight's distressed face, only to be forced down once more. "You will not hurt her!" She groaned.

"You have no say in this Celestia." Chrysalis said as she applied more pressure with her front left hoof, pushing the princess of the sun down.

"Neither do you!" Cadance called out. "You have no right to take Twilight!"

"Of course I do, I'm her mother." Chrysalis snapped back.

Everypony, except a select few, gasped.

"What did she say?"

"She can't be serious!"

"Impossible!"

"That's right." Chrysalis smiled at the confusion she saw on everypony's face. "The one you call Twilight Sparkle is my daughter. Her true name is Amaryllis. Princess Amaryllis!"

All eyes turned to Twilight, who was still huddling in the cage next to her brother.

Nopony noticed her parents quietly crying in the corner of the chapel.

Celestia weighed her options. "Girls!" She yelled. "Get the Elements of Harmony! They can help!" Or at least she hoped they could.

Celestia's horn erupted in a flash of magic, taking the Changeling queen by surprise and forcing her off the Alicorn's back.

"I am not that easily defeated!" She got up, her wings flaring open in a display of power and challenge. She strode over to Chrysalis, intent on bringing her down.

Twilight's friends were still frozen in shock, even after Celestia's direct command. "Snap out of it!" Cadance yelled as she weakly grabbed Rarity. "We can worry about this later, right now you need to hurry up and fetch the Elements!" She pleaded.

"Of course." Rarity said, snapping out of her daze. "We must hurry, lest Twilight ends up looking like that." She pointed an accusing hoof at Chrysalis, who nimbly dodged everything Celestia threw at her.

"Hang in there sugarcube!" Applejack yelled. "We ain't letting some bug steal ya away!"

Twilight nodded, before turning her attention back to the duel between monarchs.

"Just hurry." Cadance said. "I'll try and break through this cage." Even though she knew that her current magic was no match for the enchanted construct, she would try. She had to.

The five mares nodded. "Good luck princess." Fluttershy said.

They hurried towards the door, left open by the other guests that scrambled to get away from there.

"Have you forgotten about us?" Four Changelings said in unison as they landed in front of the door, blocking the way out.

"Have y'all forgotten 'bout me?" A calm and reserved voice spoke from behind them.

The Changelings turned to see a massive red stallion standing there, wearing a fancy tuxedo. "Ah spend three hours climbing into this penguin suit and when ah finally get here, there ain't no weddin' to attend." Big Mac cracked his hooves. "And ya'll appear to be threatening mah lil sis and her friends."

Big Mac reared up and slammed his front hooves down on the single Changeling that hadn't had the intellect to get out of the way. The other three skittered off, trying to find a way around the massive stallion.

"Ya'll run ahead and fetch them fancy necklaces!" Big Mac yelled as he bucked another Changeling into a wall. "Ah'll hold them off!"

"Thanks Mac!" Applejack yelled as the five of them ran past him.

Big Macintosh grunted in pain as one of the Changelings bit down on his front left hoof, tearing through his tuxedo.

Using his immense strength he tossed the Changeling away. "Ya ripped mah suit." Big Macintosh said calmly as he regained his composure. "This was my pa's best suit."

He stomped his hooves, cracking the tiles underneath him.

"How long do you think he'll be able to hold them off?" Rainbow Dash asked as they ran towards the royal vault.

"Not long." Applejack said. "There's too many of them and too few of him!"

The castle was deserted. All of the guests seemed to have either fled or were in hiding.

"You don't think there's more of those creatures out here, right?" Fluttershy squeaked, her eyes shifting from side to side looking for any potential threats.

"Ah sure hope not." Applejack said.

Soon they arrived at Celestia's vault.

"Hey guys?" Rainbow Dash started. "How are we going to open this thing?" She kicked the severely reinforced and magically protected door.

"Oh that's easy. Princess Celestia just needs to unlock it with her horn." Rarity said. A look of realization came over her. "Never mind."

"Now what do we do?" Pinkie asked. "We need the elements to make queen meanie over there taste the rainbow."

"Perhaps we may be of some assistance!" Somepony yelled.

Chrysalis observed as the red stallion was sealed inside a cocoon. "He will make for an excellent Praetorian. Such ferociousness, such determination!" She turned to her troops. "You could learn something from this kind of devotion."

"Yes, our queen." The Changelings said in unison.

Chrysalis frowned as she took in the damage. She hadn't expected the stallion to be so fierce. He had decimated over a dozen of her troops before she intervened.

Subduing both Celestia and Cadance took longer than she expected, though both of them were now glued to the wall with Changeling resin.

"I must say, I hadn't expected such… resistance from a common pony." Chrysalis said as she traced a hoof over the cocoon.

"That's what you get for threatening our home." Celestia growled. "And imagine, that was just one pony and he defeated nearly a third of your invading force!" She said, pride clear in her voice.

She was worried too. About Big Macintosh's current health and about what Chrysalis said about what that cocoon was doing to him. They couldn't really turn ponies… could they?

"I am bothered by something." Celestia continued, shoving her worries to the side for now. "My personal guards alone are greater in numbers than this lot. Add to that Luna's Night Guard and you are royally outnumbered." She smirked. "So why this pathetic attempt?"

Chrysalis gazed at her, green eyes glowing. "And where are they?" She asked. "Thanks to Shining Armor, I know which soldiers are where at which time." She said with in a tone of voice bordering on arrogance before she continued. "The Night Guard and their commander are all asleep, out of town might I add."

She strutted over to Celestia. "And besides, why should I worry about your soldiers when they will be mine to command soon?" Celestia's eyes widened as Chrysalis lowered her horn to her own.

"STOP!" Somepony cried out. Chrysalis cursed under her breath and turned to face whoever dared interrupt her taking control of Celestia.

"THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT COMMANDS YOU TO BACK AWAY!" Luna cried out as she entered the room along with Twilight's friends.

"How did you find out?" Chrysalis asked, her eyes wide with surprise. "You were supposed to be miles from here!"

"A Changeling? We haven't see your ilk in more than a thousand years!" Luna said, a hint of disgust and wonder in her voice. "How's dear old Queen Amethyst?"

"Mother has been dead for almost nine hundred years." Chrysalis said, gritting her teeth. "How did you find out?" She was genuinely curious. She had never made a slipup, as far as she knew.

"We knew something was wrong. Our niece calls us aunty Lulu, because she knows it annoys us!" Luna said, her horn glowing with a silvery light. With it she struck down the changelings that tended to Big Mac's cocoon. "Somepony get him out of there, now!"

Luna's Night Guard swarmed into the room. Over fifty stallions and mares bearing the seal of the night's princess on their flanks.

"This complicates things." Chrysalis said, fear creeping into her voice. She had hoped to be done with this before Luna would suspect anything. "Luckily, I have a backup plan."

"Which is?" Cadance smirked.

"A tactical retreat!" Chrysalis cried out.

"You cannot escape us!" Luna yelled. "The shield is still up, it shall keep you in as well!"

"That's what you think." Chrysalis smirked as her Changelings surrounded her. Her horn glowed green. "I've just ordered Shining Armor to drop the shield." She said smugly.

Indeed so, the pink bubble tore open from the top, the walls crumbling down and dissolving into harmless, raspberry flavored energy.

"And now, I must take my leave." Chrysalis said as she spread her wings and leapt out the window.

"You won't escape!" Celestia cried out.

"Not like this." Chrysalis said. Her Changelings swarmed around her. Fire flashed and suddenly there were twenty-three copies of Chrysalis. "But like this!" They cried out in unison.

The Chrysalises smirked, showing their fangs as they moved amongst one another, mixing so that nopony knew who the real one was. "Farewell ponies, till we meet again!" They called out in unison.

"Stop them!" Luna cried out. The Pegasi of the Night Guard took flight.

The Chrysalises in turn dove away, scattering and flying off into the streets.

More flashes of fire were seen as they took on random pony forms and mixed into the crowd. The guards pursued them.

"Well, that was anticlimactic." Rarity admitted as the chapel was nearly empty again.

"Victory through superior horsepower." Luna said. "Boring but effective."

"Shining Armor, my love!" Cadance called out, clinging to the bars that held her fiancé and favorite little filly. "Are you alright, is her spell gone?" She needed to hear him say it to her. That he still loved her.

Instead, the caged stallion and mare began to laugh. At the same time, in the same way and same tone. "Plan B." They said as one before erupting in flames, revealing two normal Changelings.

Meanwhile just outside Canterlot.

A small group of Changelings had been waiting for the shield to fall. They quickly exited the city and made their way into the forest.

They were wary of their surroundings, searching for anything that might pose a threat.

For they had the most important treasure with them. The queen had entrusted them with the safe transportation of their princess.

The Changeling in question slumbered on the back of a Behemoth, a Changeling so big that he couldn't take on pony disguises.

Their precious cargo was sealed in a green cocoon, allowing their princess to rest as they marched onwards towards the Wastelands.

Shining Armor marched on as well, not knowing where they were going and not really caring either. His eyes were dull, his mind blank. The effect of being drained of most of his emotions.

Three Chrysalises landed in front of the party. Two of them caught on fire and turned back into regular Changeling soldiers.

The third one, the real one strode over to the Behemoth carrying Twilight on his back. Without a word she jumped up onto his head so she could get a better look at the cocoon.

She taped it with her hoof, like a foal would tap on an aquarium to get the fish to move.

The fish in this aquarium didn't move. She just opened her eyes for a few seconds before closing them again.

Chrysalis smiled. Not a smirk, not a grin. A genuine smile. For the first time in a long time her own happiness filled her heart. And it felt so much better than somepony else's.

Off course, of course. Off course is when you stray from your path. I must remember that! Seriously, I keep on making that same mistake.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"A little to the left. The other left. That's too much… stop!" Chrysalis ordered. The Changeling Behemoth had placed the cocoon in the middle of the room. A rather bland room.

Chrysalis never paid much attention to such details. Less is more, she figured.

Changelings were quick and efficient builders but they lacked any form of interior decorating skill.

"You have done well." She complimented the massive Changeling. She moved over to him and gave him a peck on his cheek.

A small sign of motherly affection like that had the same effect as a cookie or other treat to him.

"Return to your post." Chrysalis ordered.

The Changeling nodded. He returned to his post with a smile on his face and a spring in his step.

"Now that that's taken care of." Chrysalis moved to the cocoon. She tapped on it with her hoof.

The pony floating inside opened her eyes.

Chrysalis stared deep into them. The pony didn't look away.

Eventually though, she just closed them again.

It felt like drowning, only without dying from suffocation, Twilight figured.

It kind of felt like sinking in too deep into the tub, only now she didn't rush back to the surface to breathe.

Because she was breathing. Somehow.

Her scientific studies told her that it was perfectly plausible to be breathing fluid. As long as there was enough oxygen in it.

It was warm too. Again, just like a hot bath. Only one that she couldn't get out of. Or even wanted to get out of.

It was strangely comfortable and soothing for some reason.

A thud shook her body. Her eyes opened. They stung a bit.

Something was standing outside her… she didn't know what to call it. Cage? Cocoon perhaps? She had no idea.

But whatever it was, there was a pony out there.

Her eyes closed again.

Chrysalis smirked. Everything had gone according to plan. Well, almost everything. They had failed to take Canterlot.

But the Equestrian capital was expendable. Feeding her daughter was the main reason to replace Cadance.

Chrysalis scoffed at the mere thought of that mare. How dare she take Shining Armor's love for herself? Her daughter needed it more than she did.

"You two." Chrysalis called out to the two Changelings guarding the door. They walked in and bowed for their queen. "The two of you are to stand guard here." She patted the cocoon. "You are not to leave your post for any reason until she breaks out, do you understand?"

The two Changelings nodded.

"Good." Chrysalis said. "When she does break out, come and inform me immediately."

The two Changelings took positions on either side of the cocoon, intent on protecting it against anything that would want to harm it.

Not that they were truly necessary.

As she stepped outside Chrysalis's lips drew into a smile.

Nearly every Changeling that she didn't specifically assign a task was sitting outside, waiting and watching. Hundreds of them filled the hallway from end to end.

"It seems like ponies aren't the only ones that love their royalty." She said.

Were this any other day, she would have ordered them all to go back to their posts. But today was like a holiday, so she allowed them to celebrate the return of their future queen.

Her head ached.

Twilight felt the presence of so many ponies.

No, not ponies…

But they were there.

And there were hundreds, maybe thousands calling out to her in a language she didn't quite understand.

A sense of belonging and worship filled her.

And it felt good.

Celestia looked over her throne room.

For once she wasn't actually sitting on her throne. No, she was content with sitting on the pillow her servants had brought.

The last thing she needed right now was to feel above everypony else in the room. They were all suffering from the same grief after all.

"And then she turned me into a cactus!" She overheard Night Light say to Pinkie Pie and Rarity. Pinkie Pie smiled for the first time since the wedding at that, though it didn't last very long.

The room was littered with pillows and ponies sitting on said pillows. Her little ponies were chatting and telling stories to each other.

If she didn't know any better, she'd say that they were having a slumber party.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case but she hoped that this would make everypony more comfortable.

Night Light was telling the story of Twilight's cutie mark to anypony that wanted to hear it. He sounded so cheerful while he was telling it.

But Celestia could always tell how much her little ponies were hurting. Night Light's cheeks were stained with tears. And even as he smiled there were new tears forming, waiting for a chance to break free.

"You were such a handsome cactus." Twilight Velvet sniffed. She was clutching a thick leather photo album.

"Excuse me, miss Twilight." Fluttershy said gently. "But why are you hugging that book so hard? Not that there's anything wrong with that." The butter yellow Pegasus said with a small voice.

"Call me Velvet, please." Twilight Velvet said. "And this old thing is our family album." She pulled it even closer to her.

"I went home to pick it up. I-I just need something." She said, tears in her eyes. "Something to show me that it was all real." She sniffed, clenching the book even tighter. "That my foals were real. Silly, isn't it?"

"Of course not." Fluttershy said. "There's nothing wrong with that."

Velvet liked this pony. She recalled the letters Twilight had written. "You're Fluttershy, right?" She asked.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Twilight wrote to us about you all." She said, a smile on her face. "She described you all in detail, that's how I could tell."

"That's how we know her." Fluttershy sighed. Twilight hadn't been gone for long but she missed the purple mare so badly.

"Would you like to see them?" Velvet offered. "The pictures, I mean."

"Sure." Fluttershy said, moving her pillow a bit closer.

Velvet laid the album in front of them ever so gently. With a flick of her horn the book opened to the first page.

"That's Shining Armor." Velvet pointed at a picture of her and Night Light. The blue stallion was holding a little white foal in his hooves.

"And here's Twilight." She pointed to the picture next to it. Shining Armor was a handsome little colt in that one, sitting proudly in between his parents with a purple filly in his hooves.

"That one was taken the day after we left the hospital." Velvet said. "Shining Armor refused to let her leave his sight." She let out a weak but heartfelt laugh. "We even had to put up a bed in our room again, because he didn't want to leave her at night."

"That's so sweet." Fluttershy said. The picture made her feel all warm and tingly inside. Shining Armor reminded her of her own brother. The whole situation made her want to write to him, to see if he was alright.

"Was he really that excited to get a little sister?" She asked, pointing at the impossibly wide smile that Shining Armor was sporting.

"You wouldn't believe it." Velvet said. "There was a complication when Twilight was born." She cleared her throat. "She- we thought, the doctors thought that she was… stillborn." She barely managed to say that last word. It burned on her tongue.

"Twilight told us about that on the train." Fluttershy said. "Such a nice story. In the end, I mean." She quickly added.

"Yes, nice." Velvet muttered. "Anyway, after that he promised that he'd never, ever let her get harmed." She rubbed her eyes. "And my little colt never breaks his promises."

"Even right now, I think." Fluttershy assured her. "I'm sure he's protecting her."

Time went on. The ponies lost themselves in the stories that Night Light and Twilight Velvet had to tell about their foals.

Even Celestia chipped in with a few embarrassing stories concerning Twilight and a filly-sized cookie jar.

A pair of Royal Guards approached the princess. "Princess Celestia." They bowed. "We bring news. The Pegasus squads have returned."

"Very well." Celestia got up from her pillow and followed the pair. Before leaving she turned to the ponies in the throne room. "I hate to ask this of you but please, remain here for the time being."

Most of the ponies just nodded.

Rainbow Dash on the other hoof groaned in annoyance.

"This sucks." She said as princess Celestia closed the door behind her. "We shouldn't be here, drinking tea and having a bucking slumber party!" She slammed her hoof into the pillow she was lying on, the force sending a few feathers flying. "We should be out there, looking for her!"

"I know we should." Rarity said. "But that's no reason to rush head first into this. We have no idea where they took Twilight, nor could we hope to stand against those things on our own."

"I don't care." Rainbow Dash said. "She took our Sparkle and I don't care how long I have to look but I swear that I will take her down!" She stood up and flared her wings in a display of anger and determination.

"Keep it down." Fluttershy pleaded. "You're upsetting Twilight's parents."

Rainbow Dash closed her wings again and shot them an apologetic look. "Sorry." She added as she laid down again.

"Don't be." Night Light said.

"We're happy." Velvet said. "Happy that our little Twilight has such caring friends."

"She's a special one." Pinkie muttered. The fact that Twilight was gone had hit her hard. It made her feel all gloomy. Her mane wasn't as poofy as it should be. "We all love her so much."

The door swung open again, revealing Applejack.

"Hey." Applejack said. "Did we miss anything?" She asked as she came in. The Cutie Mark Crusaders came in after her.

"Not much." Rarity said as Sweetie Belle ran over to her and hugged her. The little filly had had a rough day as well. "How's your brother?" She looked at Applejack.

Applejack shook her head. "Still asleep. That gunk did something to him." Worry was clear on her face. "The doc thinks that he'll wake up sooner or later. Ah hope y'all don't mind it but we want to be there when he does."

Apple Bloom nodded furiously. "Ah don't want to leave him all alone." She said.

"Of course." Rainbow Dash said. "No need to worry about us. We'll keep you in the loop."

"Thanks Dash." Applejack said as she and her little sister walked back. "Our condolences, mister and misses Twilight." She said to the Unicorn pair. "Ah'm sorry we're leaving again so quickly."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Night Light said. "Your brother needs you more than we do."

Applejack tipped her hat before closing the door behind them.

"Hey Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo said. "Mind if I sit here?" She motioned towards an empty pillow next to Rainbow Dash.

"Hop on." Rainbow Dash patted the pillow.

Scootaloo hurried over to her and jumped on the pillow. "I'm going to stay close to you, okay? You know, to protect you in case those things come back." Scootaloo said nervously, though she tried to keep a confident look.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, though a smile found its way onto her face anyway.

"Tell me everything you know." Celestia ordered as she followed her guards into the dungeons beneath the castle.

"We found no trace of the real Changeling queen." One guard said as they trotted slightly in front of Celestia. "We found several sets of strange hoofprints leading into the Wastelands. But they were faded in the ashes. We couldn't follow them anymore."

"We did capture several doubles of the queen." The other guard said. "We now have thirteen Changelings in custody, including the ones that impersonated Captain Shining Armor and Lady Twilight."

"Better than nothing." Celestia didn't mean to be so negative. Her guards had done well. But not well enough to keep Starlight- Chrysalis from returning home with her prize.

The Wastelands.

Nopony had set hoof in there since… ever. She had thought the area to be as dead as the ash that covered it.

To think that there were actually creatures living there. It boggled her mind.

Luna however seemed to know of them. She'd need to ask her sister about them when she came back from the hospital.

"In here princess." The guard pulled a key from his armor and unlocked the door.

Celestia followed them in.

And what she saw shocked her.

Eleven Changelings sat in a large cell.

They just sat there.

They didn't move a muscle. They didn't even acknowledge her coming in.

"I am Princess Celestia of Equestria." She told them. "And I wish to know where your queen took my student."

They didn't budge.

"Answer me." Celestia said calmly.

"They won't." One of the guards said. "We've been trying to get something out of them since they came here. It's like they're not really there."

"The other two are more talkative." The other guard said. "They're in the next cell."

Celestia walked to the next cell. In this one were two Changelings.

"My name is Princess Celestia." Celestia said again. "And I wish to-"

"The pony has nothing to demand of us!" One of the Changelings yelled. "You hold no power over us!"

"That may be so." Celestia said. "That's why I am asking, not demanding."

The two Changelings looked at each other, a look of confusion on their faces. "The pony's tricks won't work on us." The other Changeling eventually said.

Celestia shivered involuntarily.

These Changelings…

They looked the same, acted the same and almost talked the same as well. So unlike her precious little ponies.

"What are your names?" Celestia asked. She needed something to tell these two apart.

"Names?" The Changeling asked. "We do not have names. We have no need for them."

"Fine then." Celestia started to get annoyed. "I will name you…" She thought hard about it. The only thing that came to mind was an old rhyme that she had taught Cadance so long ago.

"I'll call you Sunshine and you Ladybug." She pointed at the left one and then at the right one. She assumed that the right one was female, as her voice was slightly higher in pitch.

The Changelings hissed. "The pony thinks she can name us, like we are common pets!" Ladybug snarled.

The other one, Sunshine, nodded. "No respect whatsoever." He hissed.

"Why wouldn't you want names?" Celestia asked. "They're a way of identifying yourself in the crowd, a way to be an individual." Celestia frowned as the Changelings just got angrier.

"We are not individuals!" The female Changeling shrieked. "We are one! We find your 'individuality' stupid and counterproductive."

Celestia didn't know what to say to that. These strange creatures were confusing her.

But she gathered up her thoughts and continued her interview.

"Who is this 'we' if I may ask?" She asked.

"The queen!" Sunshine said in awe. "We are her and she is us. We are all parts of a greater thing!"

"I see." Celestia said. "Yet you seem to have independent thoughts. You can be offended. Why is that?"

"Remnants of time long gone." The Changelings said as one. "We do not like it, it hurts. We all want it to go away!"

Celestia felt very uncomfortable right now. They looked so similar to her own little ponies but they acted so differently.

She had always encouraged her subjects to be who they wanted to be. To be different. To be happy.

The Changelings were only happy if they were one and the same apparently.

"What about your brothers and sisters in the next cell?" Celestia asked. "They haven't moved since they arrived here. Are they sick?"

The Changelings laughed. "No pony, they are not sick. They are truly one."

"Explain yourself, please?" Celestia needed as much information as she could get.

"Truly one, they are truly one with the queen!" Sunshine said with glee. "Without her, they are nothing! We are so jealous!"

"Envious." Ladybug rubbed her hooves together in frustration. "So very envious."

"You should be glad that you have some independence!" Celestia said, her voice betraying her frustration. "How can you make art, write stories, sing songs when everypony is the same?"

"We have no need for those things!" Sunshine yelled.

"Nor do we need names!" Ladybug added.

Celestia noted that their voices had changed. They even sounded the same right now!

The two captives looked at each other. Their wings spread out as they began to buzz around the room.

Celestia watched as they spun in circles, figure eights and pretty much every maneuver that they could perform in that cramped area.

They were moving so fast!

And then they just landed next to each other again. Celestia had no idea which one was Sunshine and which one was Ladybug. A wicked smile ran over their faces.

"Very funny." Celestia sighed. The creatures were starting to grind her gears.

"And here I was, thinking that you of all ponies would appreciate a joke." The Changeling on the right said.

"Huh?" Celestia looked up.

One of the Changelings was on her knees, bowing before the other one.

The upright one's eyes had a green circle in them, with in the center a black dot. "I have assumed direct control." The Changeling said in a familiar voice.

"Chrysalis? Is that you?" Celestia narrowed her eyes. "How are you here?"

"That's Queen Chrysalis to you. I am speaking through one of my children. You really shouldn't name them, I could feel their distress all the way over here." Chrysalis said angrily.

"And where exactly are you?" Celestia asked.

"None of your beeswax." Chrysalis said. "Do ponies still say that?"

"They haven't since almost a thousand years ago." Celestia said with a disgruntled tone. She had questions of her own.

"What have you done to my student?" Celestia asked politely, keeping on a straight face. In truth, she wanted to wrap her hooves around the queen's neck and squeeze until she answered.

"Your student is fine." Chrysalis said. "I am with her right now. She's beautiful. Oh I wish you could see her Celestia."

"I can, if you tell me where she is." Celestia tried.

But Chrysalis just shook her head. "I am not telling you Celly."

"Only Luna may call me that." Celestia gritted her teeth.

"Oh? So I've lost that privilege then?" The Changeling transformed into a yellow Unicorn with a red mane. "You wound me Celly."

"Stop assuming that form." Celestia half demanded, half pleaded. "Please."

"Well, if it makes you uncomfortable." Chrysalis smirked. She made no attempt to change into something else.

Celestia sighed. "Is it really you?" She asked. "Starlight, I mean. Are you truly Starlight?"

"Once upon a time." Chrysalis said, her tone heavy with sorrow and regret. "I mean, once upon a time in the magical land of Equestria."

Celestia recognised that sentence. She had always fondly remembered it. "It's still around." Celestia said. "The book, I mean."

"I know." Chrysalis said. "Who do you think left a copy in her room?"

Celestia wanted to say something but was cut off by Chrysalis.

"She succeeded where we failed, didn't she?" Chrysalis said. "To think that of all ponies, my daughter would become the Element of Magic."

"If she truly is your daughter, then where have you been all this time?" Celestia questioned.

"Watching. Waiting." Chrysalis said. "It's hard, seeing your daughter being raised by ponies you barely know."

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"The real Twilight Sparkle died when she was born." Chrysalis said, her voice filled with sadness. "So I replaced Velvet's stillborn foal with my nymph. Nopony ever noticed."

Celestia felt sick to her stomach.

"Starlight, I will find my student." Celestia said coolly.

She had had it with this. "She is very dear to me and her friends. I will stop at nothing until I have her safely in Canterlot with me."

Chrysalis hissed at her.

"She is not yours!" She spat. "I've waited years for her to be brought home and I will not let you ruin it!"

"If I know my student, and I do, then she will probably return home on her own." Celestia said smugly. "I am confident of it."

"Bah, what makes her so special to you anyway?" Chrysalis said angrily. "You never came to find me, did you?"

"Starlight, I didn't know!" Celestia said but her words fell on deaf ears.

The Changeling's eyes had turned back to normal, signaling that Chrysalis had left.

Celestia turned to the two guards that she had come in with. "You will forget everything you've heard." She said to them.

They just nodded. They did their job and they did it well.

Celestia turned to the Changelings again. The two chatterboxes had fallen silent. The other eleven were flying around in a mild panic for some reason.

"Keep them under close watch." Celestia ordered. "And keep them alive, find out what they eat and give it to them.

"As you command, princess." One of the guards said.

Celestia sighed as the door was locked behind her.

She had never expected that her niece's wedding would turn out like this.

"How are you feeling sister?" Celestia looked up to see that Luna was waiting for her at the top of the stairs.

"Bad." Celestia said as she climbed the stairway. "Useless even. You?"

"Worried." Luna said, walking besides her sister through the hallway.

"About Twilight?" Celestia asked as they headed back to the throne room.

"Indeed. We are very fond of her." Luna said, the events of Nightmare Night still fresh in her memory.

"How's Cadance?" Celestia asked. Luna had taken her to the hospital while she handled her subjects.

Luna looked down. "Not good. She's suffering from severe malnutrition and she has an infected ankle. She may be an Alicorn like us, but she is not as durable as us. The doctors say that she has a long way to go before she'll truly recover."

Celestia nodded. "Poor dear. I'll go visit her first thing in the morning."

Her heart was full of worry at the moment.

Worry for Twilight, worry for Cadance, worry for Shining Armor. And worry about what this new threat could mean for her ponies.

"Luna, what can you tell me about Changelings?" Celestia asked. She needed to know more about this threat.

"Not much I'm afraid." Luna frowned. "They are a rather docile race living in the Wastelands. They are loyal to the death to their queen. They feed on emotions, feelings. They adore love."

"Emotion?" Celestia asked. These Changelings were truly confusing her.

Luna nodded. "Happiness, sadness and everything in between. But love is their main food source." Luna shrugged. "They are a peculiar species."

"You mentioned a Queen Amethyst or something?" Celestia recalled.

"Ah yes, Ammy." Luna smiled, fondly recalling a memory. "She was a friend of mine."

"You were friends with a Changeling?" Celestia was a bit surprised. "How come I never met her?"

"We weren't speaking to one another back then." Luna reminded her. "And she rarely ventured into Equestria, I usually visited her in the Wastelands."

Celestia stared at her. "Luna?" She tried to stay calm, but failed utterly.

"You know where they live?" Celestia was livid. "Why didn't you tell the guards?!"

"Because we do not know!" Luna cried out, using the royal 'we' once more. "Ammy never told us! We met at the edges of our nations before venturing out into the Wastelands!"

Celestia sighed. "I'm sorry Luna. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"We forgive you sister. You are worried." Luna gave her sister a much needed hug.

After a few minutes Celestia broke the hug off. "We should go and tell Twilight's parents and friends about what I've learned." She said.

"Indeed, I too wish to know what you have learned." Luna said.

The regal pair continued their walk.

"Luna?" Celestia asked as they trotted to the throne room.

"What is it sister?" Luna asked, stopping at the double doors.

"Should we retaliate?" Celestia blurted out. "Against the Changelings?"

Luna considered her answer carefully. She hadn't thought about it yet.

"I mean, they assaulted Cadance, threatened Canterlot and kidnapped two of our precious subjects." Celestia listed.

"Were we who we used to be, their lands would have been burning by now." Luna said darkly, reverting to her old speech pattern. "We do not wish to be like that again."

"Neither do I." Celestia draped her wings over Luna as she hugged her.

"We could try that modern thing you so much enjoy." Luna suggested.

"Diplomacy?" Celestia offered.

"That's the one." Luna sighed. "Let's try that one."

"Oh that's just precious!" Rainbow Dash snickered. She and Scootaloo had moved and were now on either side of Twilight Velvet and looking at the family album.

"That's on Twilight's very first Nightmare Night." Velvet held her hoof at the bottom of the picture.

It showed a disgruntled little filly dressed like Daring Do, wings and pith helmet included. It would have been a normal, cute picture if it weren't for the fact that Daring Twilight was ten feet up a tree and clinging to a branch.

"Those firecolts were so nice." Velvet pointed at the picture underneath, where Daring Twilight was sitting on the helmet of a burly brown stallion with a fire axe as a Cutie Mark.

"Ma'am, you do realize that I will make fun of Sparkle with this when we get her back, right?" Rainbow Dash informed her.

"I know, and I know she'll forgive me for showing you this." Velvet smiled weakly but genuinely. "Eventually, I hope."

The doors swung open again. Everypony turned their heads towards the princesses.

"We bring news." Luna said as she closed the door behind her sister.

"Though not much of it is good." Celestia said grimly.

The walls were breaking!

And this time she was pretty sure that Pinkie had nothing to do with it.

Twilight struggled. Her sanctuary was disappearing quickly, the green ooze seeping away through the cracks in the shell.

She pushed against the wall as hard as she could, hoping to make it break away, so she could get out.

The walls gave way, splitting apart.

She was swept out of her cocoon in a torrent of green gunk. Her body hit the floor with a resounding smack.

She tried to crawl to her hooves, only to collapse again as her body twitched and spasmed. Moments later, she expelled the fluid that had gathered in her lungs.

Twilight took a deep breath and coughed sickly. Her second breath caused her to dry heave and her third breath was finally somewhat normal.

For the first time, in what felt like days to her, was she breathing in air again. Good, clean air! None of that green air-wannabe fluid.

A chill went down her spine. She felt cold. Her body was soaked to the bone and the cold dusty floor didn't help either.

First things first, she needed to find out where she was.

She also needed to clear her mind and figure out what had happened to her.

The last thing she remembered, before the warmth and the goo, was getting tucked into bed by Cadance.

And then nothing.

"C-Cadance." She croaked, the last drops of green fluid leaving her lungs as she spat them out.

She got up. Her legs felt weird. Very light all of a sudden for some reason. Unstable too.

She fluttered her wings in an attempt to balance herself.

…

Wings?

Twilight craned her head to look at her back.

Two blue wings fluttered on her back.

Twilight took another deep breath.

And she screamed.

"I see that you have awoken." A familiar voice spoke as the door opened up.

Chrysalis walked into the room. "How are you feeling?" She asked, concern clear in her voice.

"I-I have wings, I'm hurting all over." She muttered. "Who are you?" Twilight rattled as her mind tried to process everything that was happening right now.

"You have wings, yes." The queen said. "The pain will stop sooner or later. As for who I am?" Chrysalis showed Twilight an honest smile.

"I am your mother." Chrysalis said.

Twilight stared at her.

"No, no, no, you must be mistaken." She panicked. "I have a mom and a dad already. We live in a house in Canterlot and we're very happy there and-"

"They are not your birth parents." Chrysalis interrupted her. "Think of them as your foster parents, keeping you safe and fed until you could return home."

"Home? No, Canterlot is my home. I mean Ponyville, Ponyville is my home." Twilight stammered. Her mind was all over the place.

"I know this is hard to accept." Chrysalis stepped closer to her and laid a holeriddled hoof on her cheek. "And I don't expect you to accept me right away. But it's the truth. I am your real mother. And I love you very, very much."

"If you're my real mother, then why did you leave me?" Twilight scrambled away from the touch.

"Because I couldn't feed you." Chrysalis said, though she made no attempt to touch Twilight again. "You would have starved."

"What do you mean? What are you anyway?" Twilight took a moment to take in Chrysalis's form. It was hideous, yet beautiful in its own way.

Chrysalis smiled again, though this time she made no effort to hide her fangs.

"We are Changelings." She said. "A race descendent of ponies that live off of emotion and feelings. Especially love." Chrysalis informed her.

"And I couldn't feed you my love without starving the rest of the hive." The queen explained. "A Changeling princess needs more love than one parent can give. So I swapped you with some other foal. Your foster parents never knew the difference."

Twilight's eyes widened. "What? How? How could you do such a thing?" She took a step back, away from the queen.

"I did it for you!" Chrysalis nearly screamed. "So that you could live! Do you know how it feels? To see your child being raised by others?"

She reached for Twilight again. "Eighteen years! Eighteen years I had to watch from the sidelines as those ponies shared in every milestone in your life. Your first word, your first day at school. Everything!"

Chrysalis felt tears forming in her eyes. She lifted a hoof to wipe them away. "I haven't cried like this in nine hundred years." She said.

Twilight wanted to reach out to her. She sensed no deception or lie in the queen's voice. She actually felt the love she had for her.

It confused her greatly.

"I-I-I, I don't know what to think of this." Twilight stammered. "I'm sorry!"

The once purple mare slipped past the Changeling queen and into the hive, desperate to get away.

"Wait!" Chrysalis cursed as she let her daughter pass her by. "Come back! Amaryllis!"

"So let me get this straight." Rainbow Dash said. "Our Sparkle isn't actually Twilight Sparkle? Instead she's some kind of pony from way beyond Equestria?"

"It would seem so." Celestia frowned. "I am so sorry Velvet, Night Light. But you needed to know this."

Night Light and Velvet looked at each other.

"It's okay princess." Night Light eventually said. "We've always known."

Am I doing it right?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Twilight scrambled through the door. She needed to get away from that crazy pony, now! Was she even a pony, she wondered briefly before focusing her mind at the task beforehand.

Getting out.

From wherever she was.

It would be easy, she figured. She just needed a window, to give her a location so she could teleport. She could try a blind teleport but since she had no idea where she was, that was incredibly dangerous. For all she knew, she'd end up halfway through a wall.

"Amaryllis!" The queen called after her.

Who was Amaryllis anyway? Twilight wondered. Was she talking to her? Was that her real name?

No, her name was Twilight Sparkle. She was the firstborn filly of the Twilight family and they were always named Twilight something or another. She liked her name.

But the way Chrysalis said that name… it made Twilight's heart ache. She briefly considered stepping back in, to confront the queen about it but decided against it.

She even slammed the door shut and kept it closed with her magic, just so she could get a head start.

For now, Twilight just needed a nice, calm spot so she could recollect her thoughts and prevent herself from going all crazy again.

And that nice, calm spot was not in this hallway. It was most certainly NOT here.

Dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of eyes stared at her.

Hundreds of creatures looking like the queen. Some of them were on the ground, others were hovering in the air. Some of them were bigger than two Big Macintoshes taped together, while others were as small as Sweetie Belle.

And all of them were looking at her, their gazes fixed only on her.

Twilight squeaked in fright.

In an instant, the creatures bowed before her. 'Do not fear us.' The gesture said.

Twilight felt a rush of comfort wash over her, engulfing her entirely. She felt slightly more at ease. If the creatures wanted to get to her, they would have.

But she knew they didn't mean to harm her.

Somehow, they were transmitting their feelings for her into her very mind!

She felt no hostility from them. No anger, no hatred.

Instead, she felt… love? Compassion? Happiness?

How was she able to identify those feelings? It wasn't her own happiness she felt. It was theirs, it had to be.

Because she wasn't feeling very happy at the moment.

Was the queen messing with her mind? Making her feel things that weren't there?

The pressure steadily increased as more and more Changelings pitched in. More emotion than Twilight had ever felt was forcing its way into her being.

And it started to hurt.

As she tried to organize these new thoughts and feelings her magic faltered. The door behind her swung open before Twilight could reestablish her hold on it.

Twilight cursed to herself for allowing herself to be distracted.

The Changeling queen stepped through the doorway, her own magic keeping the door firmly in place this time.

Twilight felt her headache coming back, just like before.

"What's going on here? What are you doing to me?" Twilight demanded from the queen.

"They have been waiting for you." Chrysalis said to her as she slowly approached her wayward daughter.

Twilight noticed this and took two steps back in response.

Instantly the Changelings stepped back too, moving out of the way. They still lingered though, like moths hanging around an open flame.

"Please, do not run." Chrysalis pleaded. "We have so much to discuss Amaryllis."

"Stop calling me that." Twilight said, looking around in a frenzy. "What are they? Why are they so quiet? And why are they in MY HEAD!" She fell to the ground, clutching her head in pain.

"All of you, back down!" Chrysalis said, her voice laced with authority and carrying through the hallway. "She's not properly integrated yet, you are overwhelming her! Return to your posts, now!" The Changelings backed away, their normally static faces showing their shock at being told off by their queen.

Meanwhile, Twilight sighed in relief as the bombardment of emotion seized. She still felt it trickling in but it wasn't overpowering any more.

"I am sorry for that." Chrysalis said as the hallway cleared out.

The Changelings returned to their posts but Twilight felt that they only did so reluctantly.

Chrysalis glared at the last three Changelings that remained, sending them skittering off. "Your siblings are very eager to see you again." She said as she caught Twilight's confused look.

"Siblings?" Twilight asked.

Chrysalis nodded. "All three thousand three hundred and twelve of them. Not including converts, of course."

"Of course." Twilight mimicked, her tone slightly sarcastic as she tried to keep a calm demeanor.

But her mind was reeling! She was confused and angry but she didn't want to show it.

And besides, she already has a sibling: Shining Armor!

It was hard enough for her to remember one birthday. Thousands of them? It just seemed impossible.

Why in Equestria was she even thinking of such unrelated things? She was freaking out worse than she initially thought.

It was hard to keep her mind on one thing, especially with droning of the Changelings returning ever so slowly and quietly, like fillies sneaking into the house way past curfew.

Even when they weren't around her, she could feel them.

"Come." Chrysalis said, sensing Twilight's distress. "We'll retreat to your chambers."

"Why should I?" Twilight said, trying to sound more courageous than she was feeling at the moment. "I don't know you, this is just so confusing!" She yelped in pain. "And they're in my head again!" She sunk to the floor in anguish.

The queen's expression turned to a scowl.

Twilight felt something. An order. A command.

Something unspoken and unheard but felt instead. She didn't understand it, as it was not directed at her.

But the moment it passed the droning stopped. Twilight's headache instantly faded.

Chrysalis helped Twilight back onto her hooves, pleased with the fact that Twilight didn't resist her touching her.

"Come along now." Chrysalis said. "We have much to discuss, so many years to catch up with."

"Don't act like we're best friends." Twilight said harshly. "I don't trust you and so far, you've given me no reason to. You can't just walk into my life and claim to be my mother!"

"Amaryllis." Chrysalis said, a tone of annoyance clear in her voice. "Why must you resist so? It's quite obvious that you are my daughter."

"My mother was a Unicorn, so I can't be your daughter." Twilight countered.

"Oh, but you are." Chrysalis smirked. "You look just like me."

"I do not…" Twilight started but her words quickly got caught in her throat.

Her wings fluttered ever so softly.

Her hooves ached a bit.

Her tongue caught on her fangs.

Panic began to fill her.

"Let's get you to your room." Chrysalis said, her voice calmer once more. "I will tell you all you need to know. And you'll be able to look into a mirror. I think you'll like the new you."

New me? Twilight thought, what's wrong with the old me?

Chrysalis noticed her daughter's distress. "Didn't you notice?" She asked.

"No." Twilight said. She didn't dare to look, as if ignoring the obvious would make it go away.

But the queen would have none of that. Her daughter needed to see the truth.

So Chrysalis lifted her left foreleg and held it in front of her face. She closed one eye and peered through one of the holes in her leg with the other.

Twilight shuddered as Chrysalis's single eye peered through that void. It was unnerving. It remained fixed on her.

But the feelings of mere unease quickly turned to full-fledged panic as she mimicked Chrysalis's gesture.

She knew Chrysalis was speaking the truth. A mere glance at her leg told her enough. Her heart began to beat more rapidly and her vision began to swim.

But she still continued her mimicry.

She closed one eye.

Then she held her hoof in front of the other.

And still she peered into Chrysalis's green eye.

And then everything went black.

"How could you have known?" Celestia asked. She was shocked. She had let Twilight be examined yearly by the finest Unicorn doctors bits could buy, to map out her magical and physical growth. Never had they noticed anything wrong or different about the filly.

She knew Twilight's magic like she knew her own and even then she had never suspected that Twilight might not have been a Unicorn.

"First off, allow us to apologize." Night Light said meekly. "If we had told you, this might not have happened."

"But we were afraid." Twilight Velvet said. "We love our Twilight so very much. We were afraid that you'd take her from us."

"Or worse, banish her." Night Light cleared his throat.

"I am disappointed in you." Celestia said as she hung her head in defeat. "That you'd think that I would banish a filly for something beyond her control." She sighed.

She had hoped that her subjects had moved on from their fear of her.

"We're sorry princess." Night Light said. "I know we should have trusted you. But we were just so afraid. What if it came out that Twilight wasn't a Unicorn? What would all the other ponies in Canterlot say?"

"I'd say that those other ponies can stuff it!" Rainbow Dash said angrily.

"You're missing the point." Rarity said. "Imagine if everypony knew that Twilight was a strange pony-like creature that could shapeshift into other ponies."

Rainbow Dash looked at her oddly. "So?"

"Now imagine if one of those ponies got it in their heads that Twilight was dangerous." Rarity continued."Because she's different and has all these abilities."

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply but quickly fell silent as she processed what Rarity implied.

"Never mind." Rainbow Dash eventually said with a frown. She could imagine what would happen if one angry pony decided to take the law in his own hooves.

"Rarity is right." Velvet said. "Our image is not important, but I'd die if somepony dared to lay a hoof on my daughter."

"And we've had first hoof experience with the bigotry here in Canterlot." Night Light said. "My brother was made out for a 'featherbrain' and an 'airhead' the last time he visited."

Celestia nodded. Some of her subjects were not as loving as she wanted them to be. "I can imagine how they would react to something that wasn't a pony at all."

"When we first discovered that she was a Changeling, there had been an incident." Night Light said. "I think you remember that? Where that Earth pony mare met her end at the hooves of those supremacists?"

"Yes, I do remember that." Celestia said darkly. That had been a dark page in the history of her capitol.

"Wait, how did you know that she was a Changeling?" Pinkie said.

"That's what they've been trying to explain so far dear." Rarity frowned. "Haven't you been paying attention?"

"No not that, he said that they discovered she was a Changeling." Pinkie Pie pointed out. "I've never heard of a Changeling before today and I know everypony and every pony there is to know." She said with some pride in her voice.

"Miss Pie is right." Night Light said.

"Call me Pinkie, please." The pink mare said.

"Pinkie Please it is then." He laughed at his own joke beore continuing. "We started noticing strange things about Twilight." He said. "She'd wake up with a different color coat or mane, small stuff like that."

"But when she started teething, she bit me." Twilight Velvet said. "Our little filly had poisonous fangs. I slept for three days."

"I came home that day to a crying Twilight hugging her mommy." Night Light said. "The poor thing had no idea what she did."

"I don't understand why you wouldn't go to the doctor with that." Rarity said. "Surely you'd want that checked out?"

"That's just it, those 'symptoms' didn't stay!" He said. "They would spring up and disappear again, just like that. We didn't understand what was going on."

"Still waiting." Pinkie said, not having received an answer to her question yet.

"Right." Night Light cleared his throat. "We found out that she was a Changeling because of a book somepony had slipped into her bag."

"Being the good filly she was, she gave it to us because she was scared somepony had lost it." Twilight Velvet smiled.

"The Monstrous Manuscript of Monstrous Monsters, it was called." Night Light said. "Not something I'd read to a filly before bedtime." He said as he pulled a book out from under the pillow. "I brought it with me." He said as he saw the looks of confusion. "In case we needed it."

"There was a bookmark in it." Twilight Velvet said. "On page… three hundred and twelve, if I remember correctly."

Celestia levitated the book out of Night Light's hooves. She held it in front of herself and Luna. "Authored by… Starlight Twinkle?" She read.

"Your former student." Luna said, a dark tone to her voice.

Celestia opened the book and quickly scanned through it. "This is rubbish." She said as she pointed at a child's drawing of some sort of lion creature. "Manticores aren't related to kittens." She pointed out. "And Chimeras don't live in Weather Top." She frowned at this mockery of a book.

Luna snorted as she read an entry about humans actually being shaved sasquatches. "This is hilarious. And here I was, thinking that Starlight was an accomplished writer."

"Page three hundred and twelve." Twilight Velvet said again.

Celestia magically flipped through the thick tome, stopped at the desired page.

'Changelings' the page read, in grand ornate letters. Underneath it was a beautiful drawing of a seemingly hideous creature.

"It explains everything." Night Light sighed. "The fangs, the transformations. Even her fixation on chocolate."

Everypony shuddered at the mention of chocolate. Twilight's obsession with the treat was well known around both Canterlot and Ponyville.

"It says here that a Changeling queen can and will replace ponies with her own kind." Celestia frowned at that. How long had this been going on? How had nopony ever noticed this?

"That could mean that your real daughter's still around." Fluttershy said, though she quickly regretted her choice of words.

"Twilight is our real daughter, nothing will ever change that." Twilight Velvet said with determination clear in her voice. "And besides, read on. About what happens with the ponies they abduct."

"It says here that they are drained of their love and emotion." Luna said, stealing the book from her sister's grasp. "And that they then become Changelings themselves."

"Luna, did you know this?" Celestia asked.

"Sure." Luna said. "Ammy did it all the time. She even said she was waiting for the right time to do this to me." She said with a nonchalant tone to her voice, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Celestia was shocked. "And this didn't bother you?"

Luna shrugged. "Ammy'd never really do that to me. And our subjects and I weren't seeing eye to eye either." She frowned as she recalled her own behavior. "I was not a good mare, back then."

Celestia pulled her sister close to her. "Do not say that." She comforted her.

Luna smiled weakly at her sister's words.

Chrysalis frowned at the downed Changeling in front of her. Her daughter seemed to have slipped into the bliss of unconsciousness.

She called for a Changeling Behemoth to come and pick her up.

Instantly three of the towering soldiers appeared, racing towards Chrysalis in an attempt to be the first one there.

"Eager much?" Chrysalis mocked the oversized Changelings, though her anger was not aimed at her children. At least not at all of them.

Amaryllis would need time, she knew that.

Life at the hive was not as pleasant as life in Equestria, but she had managed just fine the past thousand years and so would her daughter.

As she was lost in thought, the three Behemoths began bickering amongst each other. There had been no clear winner in their race and thus they were fighting over the privilege of carrying their princess.

Chrysalis sighed as she observed the scuffle.

As her mother had said, each new generation of Changeling queens brought a completer hive mind with them.

Each generation brought them closer and closer to complete unity.

Yet her children were fighting over something, in her eyes, meaningless.

They still knew desire and competition. Desire was a good thing, she could live with that but competition amongst one another was not good for their unity.

So without a word she picked Amaryllis up herself, placing the still mare on her back and sneaking away without the Behemoths noticing.

The steady beeping of the heart rate monitor was the only sound that pierced the silence of the hospital.

"Ya should rest Apple Bloom." Applejack said as she laid a pillow at the end of Big Mac's bed.

"But ah wanna be awake when he wakes up!" Apple Bloom whined. She had hoped her big brother would be up by now. But so far the big stallion had shown no signs of waking up just yet.

"Ah know ya do." Applejack said. "But ya need yer sleep. Just get some shuteye will ya? Ah'll wake you up when he wakes."

Apple Bloom nodded. Her sister lifted her up and laid her down on the edge of Big Macintosh's hospital bed. It was more than big enough to accommodate the little filly.

"Just rest yer eyes." Applejack said. "We all had a big day today."

"Big Mac lied." Apple Bloom said.

"Huh?" Applejack responded with a confused look.

"He said that he was late 'cause of the penguin suit but he was not! He took Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and me to safety first!" She rambled, tears forming in her eyes as she spoke. "Ah tried to convince him to stay but he didn't! He wanted to go back and help!"

"Apple Bloom, it ain't your fault." Applejack was shocked that the little filly thought so. "Big Mac's a stubborn old mule, he never listens to reason." She sighed.

She sat back down near the head end of Big Mac's bed, stroking the feverish stallion's face. "Come on, ya big lunk." She said. "You've got us all worried."

She felt tired too. And worried. Not just for Big Macintosh but for Granny Smith as well. The poor old dear had no idea her grandson was in the hospital.

But her worry went out to Shining Armor too.

And Twilight.

The two of them had been good friends ever since Twilight came to Ponyville and she didn't want to lose that.

"Ah don't care Twilight." She whispered to herself as she got up. She moved to the window and looked out at the stars. "Ah don't care if you're a pony, a changeling or a fifty feet tall jackalope. Ye're my friend and we'll get ya back somehow."

She sat down next to the bed again, trying to stay awake as long as she could.

Chrysalis laid her daughter on her bed before tucking her in, much like she had done as Cadance the day before.

It was late at night now and she needed her sleep. She didn't have Shining Armor's love to feed off anymore, as she had transferred nearly all of it to her daughter. The bit she had kept for herself was expended during her clash with Celestia.

"Sleep tight, my beautiful Amaryllis." She said as she kissed her daughter's forehead.

She left and closed the door behind her ever so quietly.

"We began noticing strange things too." Night Light continued his story. "Mysterious favors, anonymous donations. Not so anonymous donations."

"I mentioned to a friend that we weren't able to pay for Twilight's tuition at the princess's school." Twilight Velvet said. "The next day we get a visit from somepony named 'Filthy Rich' who said he wanted to pay them for us. I called him crazy and he just dumped a bag of bits in my lap and took off."

"Was he an amber Earth pony with a gray mane?" Rarity asked.

"He was." Velvet said.

"That sounds like Ponyville's Filthy Rich." Fluttershy said. "But I don't think he'd do such a thing."

"Strange indeed." Celestia admitted.

She frowned as she caught sight of the clock. "My dear ponies, I think it would be best for you all to head to bed." She said. "It has been a long day and sunrise is mere hours away."

"What?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "But what about the queen? Who was she? And what are we going to do about our Sparkle?"

Celestia cocked her head in confusion.

"She's talking about Twilight." Rarity clarified.

"Oh, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia laughed, before addressing Rainbow's concerns. "My dear Rainbow, you won't be able to help Twilight if you're dead on your hooves. Get some rest and we will talk more later."

"Fine." Rainbow Dash didn't like it but when the celestial monarchs decreed that you should sleep, you did.

"I've already had some rooms prepared for you." Celestia said. She turned to Night Light and Twilight Velvet. "That offer's for you as well."

"We're grateful princess, but we'd rather go home." Night Light said. "It's not far and I think we'll sleep better, if at all, in our own bed."

Celestia nodded. "I understand completely."

"You should go to bed as well." Luna said. "You've been through just as much dear sister."

"But the sun-" Celestia started but she was quickly cut off.

"No buts, I can handle the sun for one day sister. Please, get some rest." Luna said firmly, her tone saying that there was no room for discussion here.

Celestia stared at her sister. "Thank you." She eventually said.

Luna nudged her onwards. "Think nothing of it dear sister."

Celestia had one of the servants guide the six little ponies to their room and she said her goodbyes to Night Light and Twilight Velvet.

She felt weary. The day had drained her greatly. Fighting for her freedom and that of her kingdom was tiring.

But having to find out that it was actually her former student trying to control her was even more taxing.

Add to that the fact that two of her most loyal subjects had been kidnapped was just too much for one mare.

And then she hadn't even thought about what Twilight's heritage could mean to her and Equestria.

As she approached her own bedroom she picked up on a faint snoring. And it sounded rather familiar.

"Did anypony enter my room?" She asked one of the guards.

"No your highness." The one to the right said.

Celestia pushed her door open. Her bed looked so alluring right now.

She shed her regalia and magically moved her blankets.

"So you've been snoring here?" She said as she found a baby dragon curled up under her blanket.

"Huh? Oh hi princess." Spike said groggily. "I couldn't find you, so I decided that I'd wait for you here."

"Did the guards let you in?" Celestia asked. She wasn't angry though.

"Yeah, didn't they say so?" Spike asked as he scrambled off of the bed.

"I asked them if anypony came in." Celestia sighed.

Spike let out a short laugh. "Hey um, princess?"

"Yes Spike?" Princess Celestia awaited his question, though she had a good idea of what it was.

"C-could I sleep with you tonight? Just like old times?" He pleaded. Next to Twilight, Celestia had been the only parent/sister figure he had ever had.

Celestia sighed. "Just this once, okay?" She winked.

She'd almost forget that underneath the firebreathing and the scales and the tattoo laid the heart of a baby dragon.

…

…

"Spike? When did you get a tattoo?"

A bit short, a bit too much filler and a bit too late. Did I do anything right? I underestimated writing Twilight freaking out, it's harder than I had thought.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Twilight twisted and turned in her bed, wrapping herself up in the sheets as she dreamt. She saw terrible things, strange and foreign ideas which didn't make any sense to her. A strange longing pressed down on her, urging her to give in to it.

With a yelp Twilight woke up and tried to scramble out of the sheets, only to fall out of bed and onto the cold ground.

"Ouch." Twilight muttered as she freed herself from her silken prison. "Spike, turn on the lights will you?"

No answer.

"Spike? Are you awake?" She didn't hear him breathing or snoring, so he had to be awake.

"Never mind, I'll do it myself." Twilight used her magic and grabbed the candle she kept next to her bed at all times.

Her magic wrapped around a vast lack of wax and wick, much to Twilight's surprise.

So instead, she lit up her horn. She took in the faint details that she could make out in the dim light. "This isn't my room." She eventually concluded.

The light on her horn grew as she funneled more magic into it. Now she could see the bed she just dropped out, a drawer, a strange monster in the shadows, a few crystals and a-

Twilight froze, her heart skipping a beat. There was something in the room with her!

Ever so slowly she turned back to where she had seen the monster before.

It was still there.

Twilight dimmed her horn, hoping that it would not see her.

She had no idea if it actually worked as the monster didn't budge.

But Twilight could still see it. The unknown creature's eyes glowed in the dark. An eerie glow, like two fireflies hovering in the darkness.

"H-hello?" Twilight called out, taking a chance to put her friend's lessons to good use. Perhaps it wasn't aggressive, she figured. Maybe it just needed a little kindness, as Fluttershy would put it. She smiled.

The creature flashed its fangs at her. But Twilight would not be deterred. Having just woken up weighed heavily on her ability to make good decisions.

Twilight took a step forward.

So did the monster.

Twilight hesitated momentarily but took another step. And another.

The creature came closer. And closer.

And since it hadn't made a move to tear out her throat just yet, Twilight figured that it was safe to approach even closer.

Twilight came to a stop right in front of the creature.

It stopped too.

"Hi." Twilight tried again.

The creature didn't respond.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. There was something very obvious she was missing here but in her sleep addled condition she failed to put her hoof on it.

She focused her magic once more. The tip of her horn began to glow and bathed the room in a soft purple light.

Twilight looked at the creature again.

It was strange. She couldn't make out the details but it didn't look like anything she had ever seen before. It looked strange, wrong even.

"This is it." Twilight said to herself. She held out a hoof to the creature. It responded by mimicking her action.

Twilight reached out and touched the creature's hoof, only to be met with a solid, cold surface.

She moved her hoof around. The solid surface was everywhere in front of her.

Her sleepy mind took a few moments to realize what was going on.

Twilight chuckled at her own silliness.

"Oh silly pony." She said to herself. "You're afraid of your own reflection!" Twilight giggled.

Though the giggling quickly stopped as Twilight got a better look at the mons- herself in the mirror.

All the sleep that still clouded her mind faded as reality set in.

The rehearsal, Cadance, the cocoon, the Changelings! It all came back to her in a flash.

Twilight stared at herself. She stared back.

She lifted a hoof.

Her mirror's image lifted a damaged limb. Twilight looked down. It was her own hoof. Holes riddled it up to her knee.

The light emanating from her horn caused strange shadows to form in the dark room.

Twilight looked up again. Her counterpart did so too.

Her face still looked the same, though she could see fangs gleaming in her mouth. Her mane was riddled with holes as well. The light from her horn obscured the true color of it though. But it was different. Blue perhaps?

She'd need a real light to tell for sure.

Her wings fluttered nervously, portraying their owner's feelings.

She had wings. The real deal, not some two bit magic trick. But they weren't Pegasus wings.

They were more insectlike, Twilight figured. Like a dragonfly or something. They too were pierced with several holes, though none of them looked like they would hinder her flight. She somehow knew this to be true.

Twilight laid a hoof on her face. Her coat was coarser and darker. Almost black now.

But that wasn't bothering her.

Her hoof slid upwards, past her glowing eyes and to her horn.

Her beautiful little horn…

It was now twice as long and crooked. The tip felt sharp.

Twilight wasn't a vain pony. Nor was she a pony anymore. But she was never vain, except when it came to her horn.

Like for every Unicorn, her horn was special to her.

And now it was twisted beyond repair.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to destroy, she wanted to cry.

She wanted to just lie down and die or even beg to Celestia and Luna to have them change her back into a little pony.

But instead of doing those things, Twilight got back up.

She turned.

And with a buck that would make Applejack envious, she kicked the mirror into a thousand little pieces.

Shattered glass rained over her, miraculously not harming her.

Twilight waited for the last pieces of glass to settle before inching her way back to the bed, treading carefully as to not step on any shards.

She laid down on the bed again and pulled the covers over her eyes, hoping that it was still just a bad dream. One that she really wanted to rouse from.

Applejack yawned obnoxiously as the first rays of sunlight poured in from the window. She got up and looked out at the sky. Pegasi and birds were flying amidst the clouds, not a care in the world it seemed.

The orange mare narrowed her eyes. Did the sun just wobble a bit?

"Nah, must've been mah imagination." Applejack told herself as she went back to her seat.

Apple Bloom was still asleep at Big Mac's bed end and the red stallion was…

Gone! "Big Mac? Where'd ya go?" Applejack uttered, her head moving from corner to corner of the room.

Her brother was gone! How could she have missed him?

She rushed out into the hallway and threw herself at the first doctor she could find. "Mah brother's gone!" She said, panic clear in her voice as she grabbed the doctor's shoulders.

"What?" The doctor, a tall blue Pegasus colt, asked. "The big red one, brought in last night?"

Applejack nodded. "That's the one. Ah woke up this morning and he was gone!"

"Don't worry miss, in his condition he can't have gone far." The doctor assured her. "I'll inform the security personal immediately."

The doctor rushed off towards the nearest office, leaving Applejack alone again in the hallway.

"Where could he have gone?" Applejack muttered to herself. "Apple Bloom, wake up." She said as she walked back into the room. The little filly didn't budge and continued to softly snore.

Applejack prodded her little sister.

"Granny, Ah don't want to go to school." Apple Bloom sleep talked, turning over and facing away from Applejack.

"Ah ain't that wrinkled just yet Apple Bloom." Applejack poked her sister a few more times, until she finally gave up and opened her eyes.

"Hi Applejack." Apple Bloom said, suppressing a yawn. She instantly noticed that her brother was gone. "Where's Big Macintosh? Is he up? Why didn't you wake me?" The little filly sat up, a disgruntled look on her face.

"Ah'm sorry Apple Bloom." Applejack said. "But Ah didn't notice big brother waking up either. He just ran off!"

Apple Bloom's eyes widened in shock. "What? Why would he do that? Oh, Ah'm gonna tell Granny on him when we get- waah!" Apple Bloom tumbled backwards off the bed, landing on the heap of sheets Big Mac had left. "Ah'm okay!" She called out.

Applejack sighed as she trotted around the bed and helped her sister back up.

"D-do you think he's okay?" Apple Bloom asked, her misplaced anger quickly forgotten and replaced with genuine worry.

"Ah don't know." Applejack wanted to lie but Apple Bloom could always tell when she did. "Ah'm worried. He'd never just leave us like this."

A stumble and a crashing sound were heard outside the room, disrupting their conversation.

"Excuse me!" Somepony called out in a haughty tone of voice. "A little help please?"

Applejack and Apple Bloom looked at each other in confusion. They quickly headed out into the hallway.

"Big Mac?" Apple Bloom shrieked in surprise.

"What the hay's going on here?" Applejack asked.

The scene before her was a strange one.

Big Mac was being wrestled down by a white Unicorn of similar size. "Is this yours?" The Unicorn struggled to keep the other stallion under control.

"That's my brother!" Apple Bloom yelled. "What are you doing with him?!"

"Trying to get him out of my sister's room!" The Unicorn huffed.

Applejack vaguely recognized the unicorn. "Ah know you-"

"Introductions later!" Blueblood yelled, struggling profusely. Big Mac was too strong, even in his weakened state. "And help me get this beast back to his room!"

"Apple Bloom, go get a doctor or a nurse." Applejack said to her sister.

The little filly nodded before rushing down the hallway.

"What happened?" Applejack asked as she grabbed Big Mac's hind legs. Together they forced Big Mac back into his room.

"I found this beast sitting by Caddy's bed." Blueblood huffed. "When I ordered him to leave he said something about a queen of sorts. He continued to refuse my orders to leave, so I made him!"

"And here Ah was, thinking you prissy Unicorns were afraid to get your hooves dirty." Applejack muttered as she tried to think of a way to keep Big Mac from getting away again. If only she had her trusty lasso with her.

"Applejack!" Apple Bloom came running with a nurse and the blue Pegasus from before.

"Nurse, prepare a sedative! Now!" The colt yelled out as he helped force Big Mac onto the bed again.

"Don't hurt my brother!" Apple Bloom called out. "Please!"

"It's for his own good." The nurse, a white Unicorn with a red mane said as she levitated a syringe in front of her. "Hold him still!"

Applejack, Blueblood and the doctor did their best to keep the stallion down. But they called him 'Big' Macintosh for a reason. The stallion struggled fiercer than Applejack had ever seen him do before and threatened to overtake them.

"Now!" The doctor called out. The nurse didn't hesitate and swiftly jammed the syringe into Big Mac's front left leg.

The red stallion's eyes widened at the sharp pain. He continued to struggle but his agitated state caused the sedative to work quickly. Applejack could feel him weakening in her hooves and together with the two other stallions she hefted her brother back onto his bed.

"Well, now that that's been taken care of." Blueblood said as he made an attempt to fix his mane. "Care to explain how that savage managed to escape his room and assault Cadance?"

"He wasn't locked up." The doctor explained. "He has been nearly comatose since yesterday." He moved over to Big Mac and checked his pulse.

Applejack ignored the squabbling ponies, instead opting to sit next to Big Mac again. Gently she stroked his face with her hoof. His look was that of pain.

"What did that hag do to you?" Applejack whispered. "When Ah get mah hooves on her, Ah'll… Ah'll…" Applejack broke down and began sobbing into her brother's chest.

The doctor stepped back. The situation was seemingly under control now and Big Mac appeared to be okay. Physically at least.

He and the nurse took their leave. "If anything happens, just yell." He said before closing the door.

Blueblood remained behind, patiently waiting for Applejack to stop sobbing.

He cleared his throat to get her attention.

"Oh, right. You." Applejack said, her voice flat and lifeless. "Thanks for wrastlin' him back here."

"I did what I had to." Blueblood muttered. "I do not appreciate my sister being stalked by strange stallions." He frowned. "Especially after what happened yesterday."

"Where were you anyway?" Applejack asked. "We didn't see you there."

"I was away for weeks." Blueblood said. "Imagine my surprise when the wedding date was moved to yesterday, as opposed to next month." His stoic face hid the anger he felt inside. "I barely made it back here in time."

"The queen must've wanted to get things over with as quickly as possible." Applejack reasoned.

"I suppose so." Blueblood said.

"What was Big Mac doing anyway?" Apple Bloom cut in, tired of being ignored. "And who are you?"

"It's rude to ask somepony's name without introducing yourself first, little filly. But I am Prince Blueblood the twenty-seventh." Blueblood said, holding himself regally as he introduced himself.

"Ah'm Apple Bloom." The little filly said. "The first. Ah think. Applejack? Are there any other Apple Blooms?"

"Ye're one of a kind lil' sis." Applejack chuckled, momentarily forgetting her worries. "My name's Applejack." She added.

Blueblood nodded, trying his best to look interested in these two ponies. He was a prince after all.

"Now as I was saying, this savage-"

"He has a name: Big Macintosh." Applejack cut him off. "And he's no more a savage than you are." She said calmly.

Blueblood narrowed his eyes. He was not used to being interrupted by other ponies.

But he quickly regained his stoic look.

"Mr. Macintosh here was sitting by my sister's bed, practically drooling over her." Blueblood said with a sneer. "He was rambling on and on about some queen."

"The Changeling queen." Applejack muttered. "She did something to him."

"I suppose." Blueblood said. "Anyway, please keep him under watch. If he so much as comes near Cadance again, I will not refrain from using excessive force."

"Is that a threat?" Applejack got up and stepped towards him.

"A promise, Miss Applejack." Blueblood said, not backing down. "I will not allow my sister to come to any harm."

"Ah feel the same for mah brother." Applejack countered. Suddenly she remembered where she had seen this stallion before. "You were at the gala last year, weren't you?"

Blueblood was a bit taken aback by the sudden change of topic. "Indeed." He said. "The one that was so utterly ruined."

"We already apologized for our behavior." Applejack said.

"Oh, the gala can go to Tartarus in a trolley for all I care." Blueblood waved his hoof dismissively. "All I wanted that eve was to dance with the pony I've always admired from afar." He sighed. "And that prissy Unicorn kept me occupied the entire evening."

"That prissy Unicorn happens to be mah best friend." Applejack said flatly. Not that she and Rarity were all that close, but she needed to defend her against this uncouth prince.

Blueblood shrugged. "I see mares like her at every gala, every party, every social gathering I ever attend." He said, his stoic mask slipping as he allowed his annoyance to be heard. "I do not appreciate being thought of as a prize, Miss Applejack. But that's all I am in the eyes of mares like your best friend."

"Ah never really thought about it like that." Applejack had to admit.

"You never do." Blueblood said under his breath. "Anyway, you are Twilight Sparkle's friend too, am I right? Do you know where I might find her?" He asked. "I've been meaning to speak with her."

"Tw-Twilight… she… didn't they tell you?" Applejack asked. "She was kidnapped."

Blueblood's eyes widened. "What?" He uttered, panic clear on his face. "How? When?"

Applejack opened her mouth to answer but the prince rushed out of the room.

"Aunty!" She could hear him yell as he ran through the hallway.

Applebloom and Applejack stared at each other for a bit. Eventually Apple Bloom spoke up. "Are all princes like that?"

"Ah sure hope not." Applejack frowned. The way Blueblood had reacted, was he sweet on… nah, couldn't be.

A groan interrupted her thoughts.

"Queen…" Big Macintosh muttered. "Need to get…"

"Big Macintosh?" Applejack rushed back to the side of the bed. "Ah'm here, are you okay?"

Big Mac didn't hear her. He just kept muttering incoherent things.

"Please big brother…" Apple Bloom pleaded. "Wake up, please."

Big Mac's eyes shot open.

His sisters gasped.

Big Mac's eyes were glowing green.

"Huh, who would have thought." Queen Chrysalis said to herself. "To think that silly would-be Praetorian was affected like that." She could feel the presence of the stallion in the hivemind. It was faint, but he was there.

Every Changeling was linked into this hivemind, giving her direct control over each one of she so desired.

Though some Changelings were more linked than others.

Eleven of her best soldiers were still in Canterlot and this irked her beyond reason, as they were perfectly synchronized with her will. A mere thought was enough for them to know what she wanted. There were times they knew what she wanted before even she did.

And unlike most other Changelings, they had no pesky consciousness to get in the way. They didn't refuse, they didn't talk back, they cared only about food and what their queen ordered them.

Chrysalis found them boring as hell.

Her mother had always pressed for unity. The Changelings themselves wanted it, the old queen wanted it.

Chrysalis wanted it too.

Sort of.

A stray vision interrupted her train of thought. She sat up in her bed as she blocked the new and unfamiliar thoughts. She knew where they came from.

Her daughter was dreaming.

And her dream was leaking into the collective.

With a smirk she rolled out of bed and headed to her daughter's room.

'Monster!'

'Freak!'

'She's going to eat our foals!'

'No!' Twilight yelled. 'I… I would never!'

Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie surrounded her, calling out to her, calling her names.

Beyond them she could see Shining Armor and Cadance, their eyes fixed with hatred.

Princess Celestia was there too, a look of shame on her face.

Her parents were crying. 'Why did you kill our daughter?' they asked.

'I didn't!' Twilight cried.

More ponies showed up, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Zecora, Mayor Mare, Caramel, Big Macintosh…

All of them had angry looks on their faces.

'No!' Twilight cried out.

Twilight cried out as she woke up. She struggled against the sheets that kept her captive. Somehow she had managed to get herself entangled in them. Again.

She managed to get out of them without falling off the bed this time though.

What a strange dream, she thought. More like a nightmare.

Would her friends turn on her?

They had been friends for more than a year now. They had braved monsters, galas and parasprites together.

And still, doubt filled her heart as she sat upright in her bed.

This was a situation she wasn't familiar with. None of her books had ever spoken of somepony becoming a Changeling.

Nopony had even heard of Changelings before, as far as she knew.

Twilight took a moment to examine her hooves. They didn't make sense. Why were there holes in them?

Maybe… A strange thought occurred to her.

She lifted her left hoof.

Chrysalis arrived at her daughter's room. She sensed that her daughter was awake, so she knocked on the door. "Amaryllis? Are you decent?"

"Go away!" Came the muffled reply.

"Amaryllis, I am not going anywhere." Chrysalis said firmly. "I know you have doubts right now and I want to help you get over them!" She called through the door.

"Also, you're projecting your dreams into the hivemind. Every sleeping Changeling saw your little drama." She said.

As she said this, a few Changeling drones and a Behemoth arrived at the door. All of them looked rather tired.

The Behemoth was even wearing a sleeping cap with little hearts on it and a pompon at the end.

Chrysalis never did find out where in the Wastelands they found them. Or why the Changelings were so fond of them.

"Yes, yes, I know." She said to the gathered group, dismissing them with a wave of her hoof.

"Is the princess safe?" The Behemoth bellowed. "We felt her dream, we felt her distress."

"It was just a nightmare." Chrysalis said. "I'm taking care of it."

The Behemoth nodded before returning to the sleeping quarters. The other drones quickly followed, as they knew they were of no use at the moment.

"Amaryllis, can I come in now?" Chrysalis asked.

"No! Please, don't come in!" Her daughter called through the door.

"Are you still not decent?" Chrysalis tapped her hoof in frustration. "Wait a minute, we don't even wear clothes!" She hissed before pushing the door open.

It was still dark inside the room. Chrysalis gave the crystals on the walls a quick jolt of magic, causing them to bathe the room in an eerie blue light.

She wanted to give her daughter a lecture about wasting their precious time. She quickly stopped in her tracks though as she saw her daughter's predicament.

"Don't you dare laugh." Twilight Sparkle said.

Somehow she had managed to slide her crooked and curved horn through one of the holes in her hoof.

"I am not laughing." Chrysalis said. "Honestly, what were you trying to achieve by doing this?"

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea." Twilight admitted.

Chrysalis wanted to facehoof at that moment but refrained from doing so. It was unbecoming of royalty after all.

"Let's get you out of that predicament." Chrysalis eventually said. Using her magic she grabbed her daughter's hoof and followed the natural curve of her horn.

"Don't cut yourself." She warned as the Changeling princess was freed once more.

"Cut myself on what-ah!" A thin stream of blood oozed out of the hole in her hoof. "What happened?" Twilight applied pressure on her cut.

"Your horn." Chrysalis clarified. "It's as sharp as a razor and as strong as a sword in battle."

"This thing's a weapon?" Twilight shuddered.

"Of course it is." Chrysalis said. She wanted to continue on the subject but then she noticed the broken mirror. "What happened here?"

"Oh that." Twilight muttered. "I got upset."

"Apparently." Chrysalis said, levitating a few shards of the mirror up to her face. She could still see herself in them and smirked. "I honestly can't understand why though. You inherited all of my good looks."

"Good looks!" Twilight screamed. "You call these good looks? My horn looks like a bendy straw! My hooves have holes in them! I don't even get what they're for!"

"In terms of Changelings, you are very beautiful." Chrysalis tried again. "A trait that will help you more often than not."

"For what?" Twilight calmed down again. The queen was soothing her through the connection they shared. Twilight didn't like this one bit, but there wasn't anything she could do about it.

Chrysalis took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Listen, maybe it's for the best if I start at the beginning."

"Fine by me." Twilight said. She still had many questions.

"Like I said yesterday, I am your mother." Chrysalis said. "Your birth mother at least. When you hatched, I was forced to hide you amongst ponies. That was to make sure that you received all the love that you required. I was unable to provide you with such large amounts of love, as it would mean starving the rest of the hive."

"You keep saying that." Twilight cut in. "Love. How can anypony feed on love?"

"Love is a powerful force." Chrysalis said. "It can move mountains, divide families, break hearts. It can crumple entire empires. It can drive ponies to put their very lives on the line for those they love. It gives them strength. And it gives us life."

"That didn't make any sense." Twilight complained.

"It is pure, unbridled energy." Chrysalis said. "It makes us tick, grow and live. Very simply put, love is like sunlight. We bask in it."

"So it's like photosynthesis?" Twilight asked.

"Uh, sort of." Chrysalis shrugged. Not really what she meant but close enough, she figured. "There's a few ways for us to feed. Changelings can obtain love individually. But then it only feeds the individual." She explained. "If I obtain it, I can feed every Changeling. Do you understand what I'm saying here?"

"I think so." Twilight said. She wished she had a notebook on her, to take notes. "Can we feed on anything else besides love?"

"Everything." Chrysalis said. "We can consume it all. Love, compassion, sadness, joy, regret. Everything but hatred. That consumes us. It breaks us." She said darkly. "You will need to learn to shield yourself from hatred."

"Uh-huh." Twilight nodded.

"Come along now." Chrysalis said. "I'll order some Changeling to come and clean this mess. Perhaps replace the mirror too."

Chrysalis opened the door and motioned Twilight to follow her.

"Your actual name is Amaryllis." Chrysalis said as she led Twilight through dimly lit hallways. Twilight could see glowing eyes everywhere. Changelings were everywhere. In the halls, in the walls, on the roof.

"Amaryllis?" Twilight repeated. "It's beautiful. But can you call me Twilight? Please?"

Chrysalis sighed. "Very well. Twilight." The Changeling queen said reluctantly.

"Anyway, if you're to be my successor you'll need to know about our people." Chrysalis said.

"Who says I want to be?" Twilight said defiantly. The calming pressure the queen put out had dimmed and she was feeling a bit more rebellious.

"It's your heritage." Chrysalis said. "Without you, the Changelings will die out when I pass." She said casually.

"Sheesh, talk about guilt tripping." Twilight muttered under her breath.

"I'm just stating the truth." Chrysalis said harshly. "No queen means no future. They need guidance, Ama- Twilight. They need a firm hoof to lead them."

"And I'm to be this firm hoof?" Twilight asked. "Sorry if I don't sound overly enthusiastic about this." Now, Twilight would be lying if she said that she never dreamt of being a princess. But she had thought to be ruling over the beautiful lands of Equestria, not some dank and dark hole in the ground.

"Not to worry." Chrysalis said. "Soon, all will be clear to you."

They had arrived at a door. It was at least twelve feet tall and stuck out like a sore hoof amongst the other dull and boring doors.

Twilight noticed elegant carvings of ponies on it in white and gold. It looked ancient.

"This is one of the few remnants of the Time Before." Chrysalis said as she ran a hoof over one of the carvings. "But it's what lies beyond that's truly amazing. I know you'll enjoy this." She swung the door open with her magic.

Twilight gasped.

Books!

Books!

Books!

There were books everywhere! More books than she had ever seen together in one place, not even the Canterlot Royal library and the public library combined could stand against this collection.

"This is the private collection of the queens before you." Chrysalis said as they stepped into the gigantic room. Shelves upon shelves of books stood before them. "Twilight? Are you okay?"

Her daughter's face was frozen in delight. Chrysalis waved a hoof in front of her face but she didn't seem to notice.

Chrysalis allowed her daughter to recover and walked to a particular section. Shoved between shiny new books was an old, worn book.

It had no title and was seemingly bound together in a hurry.

"Twilight, pay attention now." Chrysalis said. "This book is over ten thousand years old. It's the diary of the first Changeling queen."

Twilight snapped out of her stupor and stared at the book in Chrysalis's magical grip. "T-ten thousand?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Indeed. It tells of the origin of the Changelings. Where we come from, what we are. And more importantly, what we were."

"Were?" Twilight was intrigued. There was almost nothing on record from more than three thousand years ago, so this diary was a one of a kind thing. "What do you mean?"

"Over ten thousand years ago, Queen Flutterheart ruled over the ponies in Flutter Valley." Chrysalis started. "Unfortunately for them, Flutter Valley was a deathtrap, waiting to be sprung. When it finally did… well, let's just say the results weren't pretty." She gave the book to Twilight.

"Read it." She said. "In the meantime, I'll go prepare lunch. You must be feeling peckish by now." With that Chrysalis took her leave, leaving Twilight behind in the library.

Twilight was very conflicted at the moment. Now that the queen was out of her immediate neighborhood, she didn't feel the calm anymore.

Chrysalis seemed nice though, if a bit odd… Twilight wasn't sure if she could ever call the queen 'mother' or 'mom'.

She had a mom. And a dad.

But here she was, her body unlike that of a pony. She couldn't be their child.

Would they accept her back?

What about her friends?

Or the princess?

Shining Armor and Cadance?

Twilight shuddered at the thought of the dream she had had. Could it come true?

She shook her head. "No." She said out loud. "We will find a way." She said confidently.

But for now, she was content with her book. Her inner historian was too powerful to ignore right now.

Second summer moon, first quarter.

The kingdom has fallen. Fire rained from the sky. Many have died, though miraculously I have survived. I've send out distress calls but our allies are nowhere to be seen. Celly, where are you? We need you!

Third summer moon, final quarter.

Our food supplies are running out. I've refused my own share, I can live off of magic for a long time. But it isn't enough. By now, I've accepted that no help is coming. All I could do was gather as many survivors as I could and take refuge underground. My poor innocent ponies, what did they do to deserve such a fate?

Second fall moon, first quarter.

The mushrooms we found deep in the caves have kept us alive so far but our numbers are dwindling fast. There are many natural shafts leading into these caves and the sulfur keeps finding its way to us. Poisoning has claimed three more ponies today. One of them was a foal. He was born underground. He never saw the sun…

Third fall moon, second quarter

Something came by. Some strange creature with a peculiar sense of humor. I do not trust him. How did he find us? Did the mountains stop spewing fire and smoke? He says nothing of the matter.

Instead, he showered us with food and water! Rocks turned to potatoes under his hand, dust became water with a snap of his fingers. The stranger helps us with a smile on his face and his laughter is quite endearing and infectious.

But he warned that the food would not last. He promised us a chance for survival. I seized it with both hooves. He claimed that we'd never need worry about poison or famine again. I wonder what he wants in return…

Second quarter, continued.

It seems too good to be true. He just gave me the spell, written on the finest parchment, rolled up and sealed with a beautifully formed golden ring. I have no idea what this will do. But I'm getting desperate. The food has run out and he claims to be unable to make more. He looks exhausted, so I'm inclined to believe him. But my ponies are weaker than ever and are on death's doorstep.

I will not fail them.

?

That creature tricked us! His spell turned us into monsters! My once beautiful ponies are now no more than bugs! The food turned back to the dust it came from and laughter filled our halls again, only now it was mocking and cruel. The trickster disappeared, leaving us to our own devices.

Yet, we are still alive… perhaps we can rebuild our society now. I don't know what the future holds for my little ponies… no, they need a new name. They have changed too much to be called ponies. Change… yes, Changelings.

And I am their queen.

Hours had passed in the blink of an eye. Twilight closed the diary again. Instead of giving her answers, it made her even more confused.

Most of the earlier parts were badly damaged by time and wear. The parts that were readable were written in such thick ancient Equestrian that even she had trouble deciphering what it meant. And Twilight knew her obscure and ancient forgotten languages like nopony else.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" A familiar voice spoke up. Chrysalis walked in.

"I did." Twilight admitted. "A very interesting book but it failed to mention any details."

"You can't blame her, after all she had been through." Chrysalis noted. "To see your ponies starve and die and be unable to do anything about it." She fell quiet, as if in deep thought. "Come along now, it's time for lunch." She eventually said.

Chrysalis led the way and Twilight followed. Once again she felt the soothing pressure coming from the queen. It didn't bother her as much as before though, now that she was used to it.

"So… do we link horns or something?" Twilight asked nervously.

"No, we do not." Chrysalis smirked. "You'll see when we get to the dining room."

The dining room turned out to be just another bland, rocky room. Only difference was the table in the middle of it.

A Changeling Behemoth walked into the room with a gigantic serving tray on his back. Twilight noted that he was wearing a chef's hat and she briefly wondered where he got one in his massive size.

Using his magic, the Changeling lifted the covered tray off his back and placed it on the table.

"Bon appetit." He said in his best Fancy and lifted the cover.

Twilight screamed.

Laying on the tray was Shining Armor! Trussed up like a turkey and an apple stuffed in his mouth.

Under normal circumstances Twilight might have found this amusing but her brother looked to be nearly dead! His eyes were green and he had bags under them. He looked like he hadn't had a decent meal and a night's sleep in days!

"Shiny!" Twilight cried. She pulled the apple out of his mouth and began to untie him. "Are you okay? Please Shiny, answer me!" The stallion remained rather lethargic as his sister cried for his attention.

"You shouldn't be playing with your food." Chrysalis said playfully, a devious smirk on her face.

"G-get away from him!" Twilight screamed as she scrambled up onto the table, to get easier access to the knots that tied her brother. "What did you do to him!?" Twilight breathed heavily as she worked with both hooves and magic at the knots.

"Not much." Chrysalis said, not making an attempt to stop her daughter. "I drained him of his love over the past weeks and fed that to you. Now you get the honor of finishing the job."

"Finishing… you want me to kill my own brother?" Twilight was nearing hysterical levels of panic by now.

"Of course not. Just drain him of his love, all of it. He will become a Changeling as well." Chrysalis said, as though it were the most normal thing in the world. "You will have him with you for as long as you reign."

"You're sick!" Twilight screamed.

"Am I?" Chrysalis yelled back. "I do what I need to, to make sure we survive! To make sure you survive! Why else did you think I posed as your darling Princess 'Mi Amore Cadenza' for over a month?" She spat that name out like it was something rotten. "Your brother has so much love to give, yet he squandered it on his fiancée. I just made sure it got in the right place."

"How? What do you mean by that?" Twilight had undone the last knot by now and levitated her brother off of the table.

"Oh, you hadn't noticed yet?" Chrysalis's body was engulfed in flames. In her place stood Princess Cadance. "I was more than happy to tuck you in that night." Cadance fluttered her eyes and made a cutesy face.

"I-I… what did you just do?" Twilight uttered.

"We are called Changelings for a reason, I thought you would have figured that out by now." Chrysalis/Cadance said.

Another flash of fire engulfed the queen. "I must say, I'm very disappointed in you, my faithful student." Princess Celestia scolded.

Twilight stammered in shock. "D-don't do that! How dare you?!"

"Oh but I dare." Chrysalis turned back to her normal form. "I should have known you would act like this."

"How else did you expect me to act?" Twilight asked, clinging to her brother. Other Changelings had run into the room, drawn by the heated emotions. Twilight glared at them, daring them to even look at her brother. "You think that I'd immediately accept that my brother's on the menu?"

"Ponies are on the menu, my dear daughter. Or at least their love is." Chrysalis said. "The sooner you accept this, the better."

"Never!" Twilight screamed. She grabbed Shining Armor and teleported away, leaving Chrysalis alone in the dining room.

"I forgot she could do that." Chrysalis admitted.

Twilight panted as she recovered from her teleport. Bringing passengers was always hard and the bigger they were, the more energy she required to do so. But the distance to the library wasn't that big, so she managed.

"Hang on Shiny." She said to her brother as she helped him to a chair. "Just sit tight here." She told him.

"And what are you up to?" Chrysalis asked, standing in the open doorway.

"You again? How did you find me so quickly?" Twilight asked, scrambling back to her brother and putting herself between him and the queen.

"Mother's intuition." Chrysalis said. She wanted to say more but was interrupted by Shining Armor, who started to cough loudly. He wheezed as he struggled for each breath of air.

"What's wrong with him?!" Twilight rubbed her brother's back, hoping that that would help him.

"Sulfur." Chrysalis said. "Hold on." She stepped closer to Shining Armor and Twilight.

Twilight however wouldn't stand for that and pushed the queen back with a shield spell.

"I can help him." Chrysalis said, running a hoof over the pink shield. It wasn't as strong as Shining Armor's shields, but strong enough to keep her out for a long time.

"How do I know you won't just eat him?" Twilight asked.

"He will die soon, if I don't help him." Chrysalis said.

Twilight hesitated but lowered the shield. "Don't you dare harm him, I-I will hurt you if you do!" She had never threatened to hurt anypony before in her life, so even she was shocked to hear those words coming out of her mouth.

Chrysalis didn't say anything. She just stepped past her daughter and lowered her horn to Shining Armor's chest. She rested it gently on it, so she wouldn't cut him.

Her crooked horn glowed green. She forced the toxic air out of Shining Armor's lungs and encased him in an orb of magic.

"He'll be able to breathe in here. For a while." Chrysalis said, looking pleased with her spellwork.

"T-thank you." Twilight stuttered.

"Don't thank me." Chrysalis said. "If you had just fed off of him and changed him into a Changeling, we wouldn't have this problem."

That gave Twilight an idea.

"Where's the scroll?" Twilight asked.

"The scroll from the book?" Chrysalis asked. "Scroll section, third drawer, second on the left."

Twilight stared at her. "What?" Chrysalis asked. "I used to write books, I know my way around a library."

Twilight disregarded her and rushed over to the scroll section. She kept a wary eye on her brother and the Changeling queen as she searched.

"Let me guess, you want to see the spell that made us what we are?" Chrysalis asked as Twilight pulled a weathered scroll out of the drawer.

Chrysalis knew exactly what was going through her daughter's head now.

"Yes." Twilight said. "If I can study the spell, I might be able to undo it! I can change myself back into a pony and get out of your hair!"

"Don't bother." Chrysalis said.

"Like hay I won't." Twilight said defiantly as she opened the scroll.

"No, I mean seriously: don't bother. Roll the scroll open entirely. The counter spell is at the bottom..." Chrysalis said as she looked over Twilight's shoulder. "… there it is." She said, pointing at the last section.

"That's… awfully convenient." Twilight was suspicious.

"It is." Chrysalis admitted.

"It requires a lot of magic." Twilight said as she took a glance at the incantations. "More than I can use. And it's-"

"Meant for every Changeling alive." Chrysalis cut in. "There is no way for you to cast it only on yourself."

"Maybe I can-" Twilight started but Chrysalis cut her off again.

"I have had the brightest minds Equestria could supply look at it." Chrysalis said. "And all I got out of it was a few dozen new Changelings." Waste not, want not after all.

"We can cast it together!" Twilight said. "We can use it to save the Changelings! You don't really want to keep hurting ponies, do you?" She pleaded.

"I will do what I have to, to save my kind." Chrysalis said. "And if I need to hurt ponies, then I will. Come Twilight. I need to show you something."

Twilight didn't really want to go along with her.

She didn't trust the queen. One moment she was serving her her own kin as dinner, the next she saved her brother's life.

"But what about my brother?" Twilight made her decision but didn't want to leave Shining Armor here alone.

"He is safe inside his bubble, let him rest. He will come to no harm." The Changeling queen said. Twilight felt another order coursing through the hivemind, once again not understanding it. "I have ordered the library to be off limits."

Instantly ten Changelings popped out of various places and rushed out the door, much to Chrysalis's amusement.

She walked through the ornate door and beckoned Twilight to follow, which she did reluctantly.

Chrysalis remained quiet as they walked through the hive, following the rocky halls upwards. They curved around and slightly upwards, as if they lay in a rising spiral.

Gemstones adorned the walls, though the Changelings seemed to have absolutely no interest in them.

Rarity would know if any of these stones were worth something, Twilight figured.

She missed Rarity.

She missed all of her friends. They hadn't been apart for long but right now, Twilight needed them the most. She felt utterly alone in the hive.

Chrysalis noted her daughter's feelings of distress but didn't comment on them. Eventually they arrived at a chasm, where the hall simply stopped.

It was like somepony had hollowed out a mountain, from the tip to the bottom. The massive void seemed endless and Twilight had to strain to see the other wall in the dimly lit cavern.

"Think you can fly?" Chrysalis asked, not looking at her daughter. Instead she gazed downwards, at the seemingly infinite abyss.

"Uh, no." Twilight said, looking down as well.

"Learn." Chrysalis said.

"Huh?" Twilight had just enough time to put on a confused look, before Chrysalis shoved her off and into the chasm.

"Aaah!" Twilight screamed as she fell.

Chrysalis was beside her, not falling but flying her way down. "Come on, flap your wings. You have them for a reason." Chrysalis said.

Twilight instinctively opened her wings, only to be pushed upwards by the draft, causing her to lose all control. She spun around and threatened to crash into the wall.

Chrysalis didn't let it come to that though and secured her daughter by catching her with her magic. "I've seen dodos fly more elegantly." Chrysalis said, a fanged smile on her face.

"Most dodos don't get shoved off a cliff!" Twilight screamed. "Also, they can't fly."

"You need to learn to take a joke." Chrysalis said as she flew upwards with Twilight still in her grasp. "Although what I am about to show is no laughing matter."

Chrysalis flew to the highest point of the cavern and landed on a platform. She lowered Twilight gently onto the ground.

Embedded in the stone wall was a door. Not as ornate as the others Twilight had seen but it was obviously much sturdier, being made out of iron. Which made her wonder how anypony had ever gotten it up here.

"What is this?" Twilight asked.

"This is the reason." Chrysalis said. "The reason we can't use that spell. The reason we can't become ponies again. The reason we need to devour love to survive."

She swung the door open. Twilight had to shield her eyes from the sunlight.

"Because there is no other way for us to survive." Chrysalis said.

Twilight stepped outside.

She blinked a few times to get used to the sunlight. And then she looked around.

She could see everything from here.

Only there was nothing to see.

The land stretched out before her was covered in grey powder. Ashes.

She could see no grass, no trees, no shrubs.

Nothing.

The queendom, the land she was to inherit was dead.

I had a lot of fun writing this, though Chrysalis is hard to write. From the episodes, she seems like someone that would go to any lengths to save her kind, no matter who stands in her way. I hope I portrayed her well.

On another topic, what are the holes in a Changeling's leg for? Find out next chapter! Or not, who knows.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

If she squinted, she could just barely make out the mountain on which Canterlot was founded. Everything in between there and here was covered in ashes. "I don't understand." Twilight said, taking in the image. "Why are you still here?"

"Because this is our home." Chrysalis said as she moved beside her daughter. "Yes, it's covered in ash and death but it's ours. We are safe here." She said confidently.

"Safe?" Twilight raised an eyebrow in confusion. "My brother was choking to death! How can this place be safe?"

"Let me rephrase that: safe to us." Chrysalis clarified. "Changelings can survive sulfur-rich environments. Nothing else can." She smirked. "I'm surprised he even lasted as long as he did. If anypony's stupid enough to attack us, we just retreat into our hive and watch as they die on the way here."

"You're a twisted mare." Twilight said. But even she had to admit that there was some merit to her madness.

"That's no way to speak to your mother." Chrysalis playfully scolded. "You're not too old for a spanking."

"Oh, watch as I shiver in my horseshoes." Twilight rolled her eyes.

They left the wasteland for what it was and headed back inside. Chrysalis closed the door behind them, the room darkening as she did.

"You didn't answer my question properly." Twilight said. "It's highly illogical to stay here. I'm Princess Celestia's personal student, I'm sure she would grant sanctuary to all of us." Twilight offered. "She might even be able to help us with that spell."

Chrysalis's gaze hardened. "The day I ask her for help is the day I die." She sneered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Twilight asked, taken aback by the sudden anger her mother displayed.

"That I'll be dead before I let that hag lay a hoof on my Changelings!" Chrysalis screamed. "She is no friend to us Amaryllis! She left our ancestors to die in molten rock and poison! She left them for dead!"

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation for…" Twilight tried to defend her teacher but she fell silent at the sight of Chrysalis's face.

Her expression had shifted from rage to sadness so quickly. The proud mare seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"She… she left me…" Chrysalis's voice suddenly broke. She looked down at her hooves. "All alone…"

"Huh?" Twilight could feel the distress rolling off of Chrysalis. "What do you mean? Are you okay?" Twilight reached out a hoof to her but Chrysalis took a step back, staying just out of her reach.

"I… I'm sorry." The Changeling queen stammered before turning around and running towards the edge of the platform. Her wings flared open as she leapt off the side.

Twilight remained quiet for a while. She was shocked to see the Changeling queen go from utter rage to despair so quickly.

"What was that all about?" She eventually asked out loud. "And how am I going to get down?"

"Stupid!" Chrysalis screamed, kicking her hooves against rocks, gems and the occasional Changeling that didn't get out of her way quickly enough as she marched through one of the many hallways that made up the hive.

"I can't believe she still does that to me!" She yelled, her voice echoing through the old mines. The Changelings knew that tone of voice and it meant 'stay the hay away from the queen or else.'

Chrysalis eventually came to her own room and kicked down her own door in frustration. "OUT!" She screamed as she stepped over the unhinged door.

Multiple Changelings leapt out of various places and rushed past the queen and out the door. Chrysalis loved all her subjects but some of them did not understand the concept of privacy.

Her horn glowed green and the door levitated upwards. Using her magic she fixed the broken hinges and closed it.

And then she opened it again and slammed it shut for good measure.

She strode over to her bed and unceremoniously flopped down on her bed, reveling in the silky soft feel of her black sheets.

Hearing Twilight speak about her teacher like that… it brought back memories. Memories she wished had stayed buried deep. Ten feet at least. Maybe twenty, just to be sure.

Her disguises were perfect, her acting skills were phenomenal. She had had a thousand years of time to practice, after all. Every pony she ever met was just a mask for her to wear, in order to gain what she wanted.

Yet the greatest mask she ever devised was the one that she had held up during the royal wedding: her own. Cold, calculated and focused. Just the way a Changeling queen should be.

But that didn't mean that she was like that on the inside as well. Deep down, she just wanted to scream at Celestia. Even when she was disguised as Cadance did she have trouble keeping quiet.

But she kept her eyes on the prize, her daughter's wellbeing and her safe return home.

In the end, that was all that mattered to her. And nothing Celestia had done to her, past or present could compare to that.

Even so, her face to face meetings with Celestia had not been what she expected. She knew that the sun princess would be angry for impersonating her niece and threatening her rule. Of course she would.

But there was no true malevolence behind her words. Celestia didn't hate her, even as she laid at Chrysalis's hooves.

It confused her greatly. Had the countless years finally caught up with Princess Celestia, making her feeble of mind and prone to forget? Perhaps she was merely concealing her true thoughts, to maintain her image as an infallible and kind leader.

Chrysalis leaned more towards the first explanation. Because somehow the two of them had a seemingly heartfelt conversation after the wedding, away from any of her ponies. There was no yelling, no name-calling, no public denouncing and ripping to shreds of her heart.

She could even feel Celestia's regret through her Changeling…

It just didn't make sense to her.

"I wonder…" Chrysalis said to herself. Her horn shimmered and her magic reached under the bed. A small jewelry case was pulled out and levitated in front of her. "Are you sorry for what you did to me? No, that makes no sense. You would have apologized the moment you saw me."

The two of them had not left on friendly terms. There was much shouting, crying and anger.

Her magic fiddled with the enchantments on the box. Chrysalis had placed ten different kinds of enchantments and charms on the box. One would think that they were to deter curious Changelings but Chrysalis knew better.

They were there to keep herself from opening the box. There was only pain and regret to be found in her personal Pandora's box.

Her magic flickered and the first charm dropped. "Too easy." She told herself. "Use stronger charms next time…"

One by one the spells fell to her magical lock picking skills.

The lock clicked and the lid swung open. Chrysalis dumped the contents of the little white box on the bed and picked up the one thing that mattered to her right now.

A picture frame. Nothing special, just wood painted a faded red color as the frame and slightly worn glass to protect the picture.

She levitated it front of her and let out a loud sigh. Her magic flared as she dug into the wood at the corners. With a flick of her horn her horn pulled outwards at the four corners, shredding the frame. Shards of glass and wood splinters flew everywhere.

But the photograph remained firmly in her grip, floating just in front of her.

She wanted to destroy it so badly. It could be so easy. A simple spark at the bottom and watch as the image was cleansed by fire. Or just finish what she had started a thousand years ago, the small tear at the top of the picture. Just close her eyes and rip! No more picture.

No more pain, no more memory.

Chrysalis sighed.

She lowered the photo again.

A stray thought could tip the scales in favor of what she really wanted. She could unleash her wrath on the picture, making it share the same fate as the frame that had held it.

But as much as she wanted to, she just couldn't. Instead, she just closed off her magic, allowing gravity to take its course. The photograph flipped and floated like a leaf in autumn before coming to a rest on the soft sheets.

The photograph was old and worn, the corners bent and the edges frayed and the image yellowed by time. But she could still make out a little yellow Unicorn hugging a tall white Alicorn.

Luna loved the throne room. The high walls, the grand windows, Celestia's overly comfortable throne. Why wasn't her throne like that? Knowing Celestia, she had probably enchanted her own throne to massage the royal buttocks.

Just like her, Luna figured. To obsess over her plot like that.

Luna just wished that her sister would share that spell with her…

A loud noise interrupted her train of thought, thankfully before it strayed too badly. The sound of hooves clopping on tiles came closer and closer, accompanied by cries that she, unfortunately, knew all too well.

The doors were thrown open and a white Unicorn came running in. "Aunty!" He cried out, his voice sounding both urgent and distressed as he rushed towards her.

"Watch out!" Luna called out. "The royal cleaners have just-"

Luna cringed as her nephew slipped and landed on his back. He still slid forward though and ended up at the base of the throne.

"They just waxed the floor, dear nephew." Luna said, though her warning was obviously much too late.

"I've noticed." Blueblood groaned. He rolled back onto his four legs and took a moment to assess the damage done. "My mane is ruined." He eventually concluded, though that wasn't much of a surprise. He had been running all the way from the hospital back to the castle at high speeds. The royal hairdo was just not up to such abuse.

"I assume that you didn't run here just to ruin your precious hair." Luna said. "What were you yelling about Bluey?"

"Do not call me that aunty Lulu." Blueblood said. "And no, I ran here after I heard the news about Twilight."

"I see. Didn't anyone inform you of the situation?" Luna asked.

"Only partially, it would seem." Blueblood said. "Imagine my surprise when I came home to find my city overrun with creatures and my sister half dead in the hospital." Anger laced his words as he went on. "But no one told me about Twilight! Who kidnapped her? Was it that queen I've been hearing about?"

"Overrun?" Luna laughed, disregarding her nephew's major concerns. "Bluey, you're my favorite nephew but you blow things out of proportion. The only Changelings that were sighted in the city were the queen and her copies, as they fled with their tails between their legs!" She laughed. "Though I will admit, we have no idea what happened to the ones that Sir Macintosh took down." She frowned. They had been thought down for the count but they fled in the confusion and hadn't been seen since.

"Sir Macintosh?" Blueblood's face fell. "That slobbering savage? I left Cadance's side for five minutes, only to find him drooling over her!"

"I know nothing of his condition but Big Macintosh will be knighted soon for his services to Equestria." Luna said. "He single hoofedly took down nearly a third of the invading forces." Luna said with pride in her voice. "Before succumbing only to the queen herself, or so I'm told. She did something to him." She said, recalling the images of the cocoon and the struggling pony in it. "Not even Celestia could take her on one on one. Only through superior numbers were we able to scare them off."

"And still you claim that I exaggerate." Blueblood said, not believing what he was hearing. "You just admitted that this queen was too strong for Aunt Celly!"

"Believe it or not, we are not all-powerful." Luna said. "We may be immortal but we are not invincible. We can be hurt, we can fall ill. We can fail."

"I am sorry, aunty." Blueblood sighed. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know nephew, I know." Luna nodded.

"So what are you doing about this new threat?" Blueblood asked, returning to the subject at hoof. "Have you begun preparations?"

"Preparations?" Luna asked. "For what?"

"For what?" Blueblood mimicked. "War, what else? They stepped out of line and attacked us in our capitol!"

"Indeed." Luna said. She knew where this was leading.

"So, sharpen the swords! Polish the shields! Construct additional pylons or something! I don't know!" Blueblood's voice grew louder and louder as he spoke. "Just do something! They stole one of our own! We need to get her back!"

"Two." Luna corrected. "They took both Twilight and her brother with them."

"All the more reason for us to launch a full-on frontal attack!" Blueblood claimed. "We need to save Twilight!"

"What about Shining Armor?" Luna asked, noting her nephew's one track mind. "Honestly nephew, I love you very much but you are letting your infatuation cloud your judgment."

"I am not!" Blueblood countered.

"Do you even understand what you are saying?" Luna asked. "You are telling me to send an army of ponies, who have never even seen battle, into the Wastelands against an enemy we know nothing about."

"Well, what else do you suggest?" Blueblood asked as he began to pace around in front of the throne. Luna's reluctance to act was annoying him greatly.

"Celestia and I have agreed to try our hoof at diplomacy." Luna said. "We both feel that this may be the superior way to end this conflict before it escalates."

"Diplomacy?" Blueblood stopped his pacing and stared at her. "You have got to be kidding me! How can you come to an understanding with such savages?"

"By the use of fancy words and promises. That's what diplomacy's about, right?" Luna joked, despite the severity of this situation. "Violence only begets violence, dearest nephew." She turned serious again. "And it should stay our last resort."

"Violence may just be the only thing these creatures understand." Blueblood countered. "What if they attack again, huh? What if they strike while you're waving the white flag?"

"You know what, you're right." Luna said as she stood up and walked down, towards her nephew. "Let's go pillage their lands, burn their homes and hang their people." As she spoke her eyes began to glow. "Maybe we can drop a meteor or two on their capitol! Would you like that Blueblood?!" She screamed as she came to a halt in front of him. Thunder and lightning were seen and heard as the princess raged, despite being clear outside.

"You know nothing of war! You have never seen what it brings! You dare suggest that we take up the sword once more?!" Blueblood shrank back as Luna's screams shook the entire throne room to its foundations.

"Ponies die when you go to war, Blueblood!" Luna's screams were like the frigid northern winds, even managing to push Blueblood back a few feet. But the mare calmed down again, her eyes returning to normal as her rage subsided. "Celestia and I have done terrible things throughout our immortal lives. Things I will not speak of. Things I still dream of." She looked her nephew in the eyes. "Do not ask us to become those monsters again."

"I-I'm sorry aunty." Blueblood said.

"I know you are." Luna sighed. "Please, Bluey. Give us a chance to do it like this."

"Very well." Blueblood said. He knew he wouldn't be able to persuade her.

He bowed before his aunt and turned around, gingerly trotting back to the door.

"Wait!" Luna yelled. "Before you go: I haven't asked Celestia's opinion of this yet but I am planning on heading into the Wastelands tonight, along with some of Twilight's friends. Will you come along?" She asked. "We could use a skilled cartographer."

"I'm sorry." Blueblood said. "I have my duties to attend to tomorrow."

Luna hadn't expected him to decline. "I see. Well, if you're busy then I won't press on. Have a good day, dear nephew."

Blueblood nodded before walking out the door.

He closed the doors behind him.

"I'll be busy." He said as he walked away from the throne room, the sound of his gilded horseshoes echoing through the hallway. "Very busy indeed."

"Let me in!" A much younger Chrysalis screamed. "I'm Starlight, I need to speak to the princess! It's urgent!"

"You are not setting a hoof into our city, you bug-eyed freak!" One of the guards said.

"What is the meaning of this?" Starlight sighed in relief as she heard that familiar voice.

"Oh Celly!" Starlight cried out. "You don't know how happy I am to see you!"

"That's Princess Celestia to you." Celestia said coolly as she stepped between her guards. "And what are you anyway?"

"What? But Celly, it's me!" Starlight pleaded. "I'm Starlight! Your student!"

"I sincerely doubt that." Celestia said, a look of disgust in her eyes.

"But… oh right." Starlight looked down at her twisted body. "Don't worry! I can fix that!" A wisp of fire travelled over her body, changing it back to the way it had been before.

Celestia stared at the yellow Unicorn.

A swift blast of her magic sent the faux Unicorn flying backwards and throwing her to the ground. Starlight was taken by surprise and her disguise dropped, revealing her near black fur once more.

"There's no way that you are my student, you monster." The ruler's words cut into Starlight like razors. "Look at you, there's no way anypony could ever love a freak like you."

"B-but you promised!" Starlight screamed. "You said that you'd always love me!"

"Guards, make sure that she stays away." Celestia said, her voice cold and uncaring. "I'd hate to gaze upon such a monstrosity for much longer."

The two royal guards moved forward, their hooves reaching for their blades. "Move along now, you freak, lest we need to use force." A white Unicorn guard said.

"I'd hate to sully my blade with your blood." The other guard, a grey Unicorn, said. His horn ignited in a green glow as he pulled the sword out of its sheath. The cold steel shone in the evening sun as it was aimed at Starlight.

"I trusted you!" Starlight screamed as she scrambled to her hooves. "I loved you like my own mother and now you just reject me! I was there when you were too weak to stand against Nightmare Moon!"

Celestia's eye twitched at the mention of her sister but she said nothing. Instead she just turned around and walked back through the gates.

"Are you going quietly or do I need to strike you down?" The white Unicorn guard had drawn his sword as well now and levitated it dangerously close to Starlight's throat.

Starlight backed away again. "That's a good little freak." The guard said, sheathing his sword again.

The guards moved back through the door, the gate closing behind them.

"Fine!" Starlight screamed. "I hate you! I hate you!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she turned around and ran.

Her tearful eyes left her blind as she ran. It was by chance that she stopped just before tumbling into a small pond beside a forest.

She took some time to dry her eyes but the tears kept flowing.

"I-I loved you." Starlight said, looking at her reflection in the still water. She slammed her hoof into it, the water rippling and distorting her image.

"Maybe… maybe she was right… yes… St-Starlight is dead." She said. "She died when somepony important to her stopped loving her." Starlight stood back up.

She refused to shed any more tears for that monster that had been like a mother to her. But it was so hard…

"Starlight is dead." She said again, her eyes still stinging with tears. "From this day forward, I am Chrysalis."

"I am so proud of you." Chrysalis was startled by the sudden appearance of somepony else.

"Queen Amethyst?" Chrysalis asked. "How did you find me?"

A tall Changeling strode over to her. Her mane and tail were a deep purple, as was her stomach. "A mother knows these things." The queen said as she came to a stop in front of Chrysalis. "And don't call me by my title, please."

"Fine, mother." Chrysalis sighed. "Happy?"

"Very much so." Amethyst said. "It hurts, doesn't it? Being rejected by those you thought loved you? Did I not warn you?"

"You did." The filly admitted. "But I thought she would be different. W-why did she have to say those things?" She was about to burst into tears again.

"There, there, my love." Amethyst stepped towards her and laid a comforting hoof over her. "Do not shed tears for those unworthy of them. They are nothing more than food for us."

"But I-I lost my mom and dad." Chrysalis sniffed. "And now I've lost Celly. I-I just don't know what to do anymore." Amethyst pulled her closer and allowed the confused filly to sob into her chest.

"What you do now is come back home, where you belong." Amethyst said as she ran her hoof down Chrysalis's back in a comforting gesture. "Where no one will hurt you like this ever again."

Chrysalis opened her eyes. "Liar." She muttered. Her thoughts had strayed back to that awful day as she dozed off, sending her into that awful dream.

A loud knock interrupted her musings. "Come in." She growled. She really didn't want to see any Changeling right now. But as the queen, she still had her duties, personal crisis or not.

"My queen!" A tall Changeling opened the door, nearly stumbling over his hooves as he rushed into the room. "Are you alright? We sensed your distress and came running!"

"Distress? I did not-" She stopped midsentence. Her mouth fell and her eyes widened. "I-I-I did not, no, I mean…" She stammered, struggling with her words.

In her emotional state, she had accidentally broadcasted her dream to the entire hive!

Every Changeling had seen that memory of hers. And so had her daughter…

Twilight was a bit woozy, her headache having returned again with a vengeance.

"What the hay was that!?" The Changeling princess muttered as she picked herself up from the cold ground. She was lucky not to have tumbled off of the cliff when she was forced into this strange trance.

"Did… did that really happen?" Twilight asked herself. She had seen the world through her mother's eyes. It would seem that long ago, she had been Celestia's student as well. Perhaps even more than that, a daughter maybe.

And Celestia had tossed her out like she meant nothing to her.

Unlike most ponies, Twilight knew of Celestia's dark past. The kind and benevolent ruler had not always been like that. The stories she had told Twilight had led to her fearing her teacher just as much as she loved her.

But the whole situation made some sense now, Twilight figured. Chrysalis would refuse Celestia's help because of old grudges. But would Celestia even offer help? Were a thousand years enough to change an immortal's mind on the matter?

Would Celestia toss her out as well? That was one thing she feared. The walls around Canterlot had been torn down centuries ago but the royal guard still had ways of keeping unwanted guests out of town. Twilight sincerely hoped that her name wouldn't become the latest addition to the list of undesirables.

But she needed to know for sure.

The Celestia she knew would never do something like that, whether they were ponies or Changelings. She had changed.

So she needed answers to her questions.

But first, she needed to get down. She had her own set of wings but no clue how to use them. If only there was some way to get help.

"You rang?" A low voice startled her and made her lose her train of thought.

"Who's there?" Twilight looked around. "Show yourself!"

"Pardon me, princess." A Changeling shimmered into existence. Twilight blinked a few times. That Changeling had just appeared out of nowhere.

"What are you?" Twilight asked.

"A Praetorian." The Changeling said. Twilight got a proper look at him now. He, she assumed it was male, was a tall, muscular Changeling. He reminded her of Big Macintosh, only not as bulky as the farm steed was. Other than that, there weren't any distinguishing features that set him apart from any other Changeling she had encountered.

"Could you do that again?" Twilight asked. "The whole 'blinking into existence' thingy?"

The Changeling didn't speak. He just stepped back and pressed into the wall. As he did, his coat took on the color and texture of the rocks behind him.

Twilight could still see his eyes as he blinked. She stepped over to him and laid her hoof on his side. "Some kind of camouflage?" She asked.

The Changeling appeared again. "We heard your cry for help. I was close by. Very close by."

"But I didn't yell." Twilight said.

"We heard." The Changeling stressed. "Come." He moved past her and towards the cliff. Twilight trailed after him and looked over the edge again.

"It's so deep." She couldn't see the bottom and that didn't exactly fill her with confidence either. She knew from experience that the chasm was deep, after her mother had shoved her in. And now they were on the highest peak of the hive.

The Praetorian wrapped his hooves around her and took off. Twilight refused to look down as they made their descent.

"Care to explain how exactly you heard me?" Twilight asked with her hooves in front of her eyes.

"You are our princess." The Changeling said. "We are linked to you just as we are to the queen."

"I see. Is there any way for you not to hear my thoughts?" Twilight wasn't exactly keen on the idea of sharing her deepest and darkest thoughts with every Changeling around.

"You will learn." He said. "You can open your eyes now." The Changeling said as he landed.

He gently put her back down. "Thank you." Twilight said but found herself to be alone all of a sudden. "Hey, where did you go?" She was alone again, the Praetorian seemingly disappearing into thin air.

"A good guard isn't seen or heard unless it's necessary." The wall next to her said. "The queen is looking for you. She'll be here soon."

"Thank you." Twilight said. The Changeling didn't respond.

"Are you still there?" She asked. But the Changeling still didn't respond. "Weird." Twilight said to herself. Still, that had been the first conversation she had had with anypony besides the queen since she got here.

"Twilight?" Twilight's ears perked up as she heard her name being called. The queen came down the hallway. "Twilight, I am sorry for leaving you like that."

"It's okay. One of the Changelings brought me back down here." Twilight said awkwardly. She tried her best to avoid eye contact with the queen. "Uhm, was… that memory. I think it was a memory." She muttered quietly, doing her best Fluttershy imitation. "Was it real?" She suddenly lifted her head and stared the queen right in the eyes.

Chrysalis met her gaze, though she quickly broke away. "It was." She said. "Over one thousand years ago, I was Celestia's student. Just like you."

"She never mentioned you." Twilight said. "I mean, Starlight. Which is also you, right?" She stammered.

"She once was." Chrysalis said. "Sometimes, I still am her. But those moments are few and far between."

Twilight stayed silent. "D-did she really say those things?" She asked once she found her voice again.

"She did." Chrysalis said. "You're lucky you only saw that part. My so-called friends were harsher than she had been." She said darkly.

"Friends?" Twilight's eyes widened. How would her friends react to all of this?

"Yes… friends." Chrysalis drew that word out. "Ponies who stand beside you unconditionally, who love you for who you are. Or at least until they find out you're an emotional vampire." A chuckle escaped her mouth.

"No, I know my friends." Twilight said, stomping her hoof. "They won't reject me."

"That's what I thought." Chrysalis sighed. She motioned with her hoof for Twilight to walk with her. Slowly they descended back into the depths of the hive.

"They were the only thing that kept me going." Chrysalis said as they followed the winding hallways, no true destination in mind. "They and Celestia. I was confident that my friends would be there for me. That they'd keep me safe from my mother, Queen Amethyst." She cleared her throat. "But they didn't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

"I'm sorry." Twilight said.

"Don't be." Chrysalis said. "I have my children, I have you. I don't need them anymore." She smirked. "Of course, it helps that none of them are alive today."

Twilight didn't say anything to that. From what she had heard, Chrysalis was over a thousand years old. So it was likely that she too would reach such a high age. Her friends on the other hoof would be lucky to live to be a hundred or so.

Rarity might push one hundred fifty, being a Unicorn. Spike would be around for at least five hundred years, maybe more.

But what good would that be, if they hated her?

Like it or not, Twilight had to consider that possibility. That Celestia would denounce her, just like Starlight. That her friends would turn on her. The situation with Zecora came to mind as well. Everypony had been so mean to her because of her exotic looks. Compared to her, Zecora blended in perfectly…

"Something on your mind, my child?" Chrysalis asked as they came to a stop.

"I want to go home." Twilight said. "Back to Canterlot and then to Ponyville."

"Those places aren't your home anymore." Chrysalis said. "The Wastelands are. The Hive is your home now."

"Please." Twilight pleaded. "I just need to know. I have to talk to my friends!" She needed to know for sure that her friends wouldn't hate her!

Chrysalis rubbed her chin in thought. "You know, when I asked my mother to let me go back to Canterlot, she sealed me into a cocoon for three weeks. I escaped on my own and made my way back to Canterlot through the ashes outside. I struggled for days and the reward for it was only pain."

She sighed. "Fine. You can go. Experience is a better teacher after all." Chrysalis relented.

"Really, just like that?" Twilight hadn't expected that answer. It left her highly suspicious of her mother.

"I could seal you into a cocoon and watch you struggle for a few weeks." Chrysalis offered. "That would be highly entertaining for me to watch but the results would be the same." She smirked, showing off her fangs.

"But…" Chrysalis started. "I have a few conditions."

"I should've known it wouldn't be easy." Twilight sighed. "What do you want?"

"That you promise to come back." She said. "The Hive needs you to lead it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but it will one day. And you'll need to be ready."

"That is doable." Twilight said. She hadn't asked to be born into this position but she would take the responsibilities forced upon her. "Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Chrysalis stared at her. "Don't ask." Twilight just said. "It's just a silly promise my friend made. This way, I can't break my promise."

"Huh, reminds me of somepony." Chrysalis said, before returning to business.

"That was one condition." The queen said. "The second is that you leave tomorrow, not today. The day is young and I still need to show you so much here, before you go. How to transform, how to feed. The basics."

"Deal." Twilight said. "But only if I can take that scroll and the diary with me."

Chrysalis laughed at that. "Are you still thinking about that spell?"

"I am." Twilight said. "If I can show it to Celestia, she might be able to help us." She looked down. "If she'll even want to."

"Somehow, I sincerely doubt she will." Chrysalis gritted her teeth. "Fine, take it. But she still isn't laying a hoof on my Changelings!"

"Why continue to live like this if you can be ponies again?" Twilight asked angrily. "It just doesn't make any sense!"

"I'd rather live the life of a monster and live in the shadows as who we truly are, than live in the sun under her rule." Chrysalis countered. "Yes, our life isn't easy. Yes, we hurt other creatures so that we may live. It isn't pretty but it's ours."

"And if she can and wants to help us?" Twilight asked. "Will you consider it?"

"I will if she crawls here on her knees and begs for my forgiveness!" Chrysalis screamed.

Both of them fell silent after that.

"Deal." Twilight eventually said, breaking the awkward silence. "Can we go check on Shining Armor now? I'm worried."

"Of course." Chrysalis's features softened a bit. "Can't let good food go to waste." The queen shot Twilight a wicked grin. "Kidding."

The sun was being guided by Celestia herself once more, after wrestling it back from her sister's grasp. The sun was hers and there was no excuse to leave its orbit to her little sister's care.

She felt rejuvenated, having slept until late in the afternoon. Spike had run off before she had awoken to join Twilight's friends once more.

And right now, those same ponies were gathered in front of her in her throne room. She stood by her ponies, instead of sitting on her throne. The reason for that was that she had an important task to discuss with them and she preferred to do so as an equal.

Another reason was the fact that Luna refused to give her back her seat.

"My little ponies." Celestia said, ignoring the usurping of her throne and its magical massaging capabilities for the moment. "I know you're all worried sick about Twilight Sparkle. And Sir Macintosh, as well." She frowned. The brave stallion had sacrificed too much for their safety. Something that Celestia may never be able to thank him enough for.

"My sister has decided to venture into the Wastelands, to bring both her and Shining Armor back to us." Celestia continued. "As well as offer a hoof in peace to the Changelings."

"What?" Rainbow Dash uttered. "Peace? With those things? No, no, no! You do realize that they wanted to brainwash you, right?"

"Don't yell at the princess." Rarity gently kicked Rainbow Dash to reprimand her. "And while I hate to admit it, I agree with Rainbow Dash. Doesn't it seem brash to just travel into their land and hope for the best?"

"It is a bold move indeed." Luna admitted from her perch. "But we have no other means of contacting them at the moment. The Changelings in our holding cells refuse to cooperate, even after being provided with chocolate. They will not contact the queen."

"Well, if you're going, then Ah'm going." Applejack said. "Ah can't see my brother like that anymore. Ah need to do something. That queen changed him, she can change him back."

"Well, if Applejack's going, then I'm going too!" Rainbow Dash said proudly. "It's time to kick some Changeling rump!"

"Rainbow Dash, this is a mission for peace." Princess Celestia scolded the blue Pegasus. "No violence, unless it's necessary."

"Fine." Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"Can I come too?" Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing in place. Overnight her mane had poofed back into its normal curly style.

"Pinkie Pie, I have heard that you have a license for heavy artillery." Luna said. "So yes, you may come."

"Woo-hoo!" Pinkie cheered.

"I hope you don't mind me staying behind." Fluttershy said with a small voice. "Unless you do mind, then I will come along… please don't mind." The yellow Pegasus shrank back, ashamed of her own cowardice. She truly wanted to help Twilight but she was just so scared of the Changelings.

"Chin up darling." Rarity strode over to her friend. "If you don't want to go, then nopony can force you to."

"Thank you Rarity." Fluttershy smiled, happy to have the support of her best friend.

"I will stay behind too." Rarity said. "My parents are out of town and Sweetie Belle's my responsibility."

Applejack nodded. "Rarity, could Ah bother you to take care of Apple Bloom too? Granny Smith ain't the youngest anymore, so until Mac and Ah get back…" The old gal could still take care of herself but she just wasn't fit enough to keep up with Apple Bloom anymore.

"Of course dear." Rarity said as an idea struck her. "She and Sweetie Belle could have a slumber party! Oh, we can have makeovers and talk about colts…"

Applejack forced a nervous smile. "Great… Ah'm already regretting this."

"I kid, darling. I kid." Rarity assured her.

"Then it is settled!" Luna cried out. "Tonight, we set out to the Wastelands! I am glad to have you all alongside me on this quest!"

"Oh, we're going on a quest?" Pinkie Pie exclaimed. "Can I be the bard? Look, I brought my lute just in case."

Somehow and somewhere, Pinkie pulled out an old fashioned string instrument. "Tralala, a questing we shall go!" She sang, horribly off key as she played the instrument.

"Is this… normal for her?" Luna asked as the pink mare bounded around the room in obvious excitement.

"Pretty much." Applejack said.

"Get used to it princess." Rainbow Dash said. "Because you ain't seen nothing yet."

So… did I save the plot or did I screw it over entirely? Damn this fandom for making that sound dirty…

Just so you know, I had planned the Celestia situation but not this early. I wanted it to happen at the end but for obvious reasons, I moved it. And I think it's for the better.

Cheers!


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Shining Armor snored softly. The stallion had been through a lot and Twilight was just glad that he was asleep, safe and sound inside his bubble.

Twilight tore her gaze away from her brother and looked into the mirror again. It was strange, she had never been a vain pony but now she couldn't help but obsess over her reflection. The three of them had retreated to Chrysalis's chambers, which held an intact mirror for her to marvel at.

And now, she had a somewhat decent light source. The gemstones strewn about the hive would give off a blue glow whenever somepony channeled some magic into it.

She looked at her reflection again. It was like a high speed wagon crash. She didn't want to see it, yet she couldn't look away.

Twilight ran a hoof through her mess of a mane. Her highlights remained purple and pink but her main color had changed into the same blue as the Changeling queen. Her hoof caught on an odd second horn. It looked like a crown, just like the queen's. She wondered if it was of any use to her or if it was just there to signal her status as royalty.

At least she still had her cutie mark, something the Changeling queen lacked.

"See anything you like?" Chrysalis asked as she walked over to stand beside Twilight. "Like I said, you inherited my good looks." She said with a grin, showing off her sharp fangs.

"Yeah… sure." Twilight drew the sentence out. "Anyway, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, my child." Chrysalis said.

"I couldn't help but notice that I have my cutie mark. None of the other Changelings do." Twilight noted. "Nor do you."

Chrysalis laughed. "Oh don't worry about that. It'll disappear in a few days, maybe a week."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "Wha-...WHAT!? But I..."She stammered as she tried to find the right words. "Why?" She eventually managed to utter.

"Changelings don't have cutie marks, there's no need for them." Chrysalis said casually. "You are also a Changeling, therefore you have no need for a cutie mark." She smirked, going out of her way to show off her fangs again. Twilight was beginning to dislike that little tick her mother had.

"But that doesn't explain why Changelings don't have cutie marks." Twilight retorted, stomping a hoof in frustration. The sound caused Shining Armor to jump up and open his eyes for a few seconds, after which he just closed them again and fell back asleep.

"Let's just say that our species is not limited." Chrysalis said. "When a pony gets their cutie mark, they tend to focus on it and nothing else. A Changeling doesn't have a cutie mark. They do not need them as they serve their queen. If the queen desires them to be warriors, then they fight like rabid beasts. When she wants them to be builders, they will raise temples in her name. They can do or be anything, so long as the queen desires it.

"That's how my mother used to explain it." She added.

While Twilight didn't know how to reply to that, it did make some sense to her. Changelings were like blank flanks: full of potential. But that potential was only to be used as the queen desired it or so it would seem.

Could she do so as well? She would become queen of this hive someday, whether she liked it or not. Could she command somepony to be a builder? To be a warrior? Even if they weren't?

Twilight's head was starting to hurt again, not from a torrent of chatter but from overthinking the possibilities.

"Are you okay?" Chrysalis asked. Twilight could hear genuine concern in her voice.

"I'm fine." Twilight said. "Just thinking."

"Don't overdo it." Chrysalis said. "Sometimes, it's better to just go with the flow."

"…Right" Twilight said hesitatingly.

"Don't worry too much." Chrysalis assured her. "You won't be queen for a while. You will learn in time."

Twilight's eyes widened in shock. "Did you read my mind?" Twilight asked angrily.

"I didn't need to." Chrysalis said with a playful tone. "You broadcast your thoughts freely. I just need to pick up on them.

"But anyway, enough chitchat." Chrysalis said, her serious tone returning. "There'll be plenty of time to discuss those things when you come back. What we really need to focus on is your new abilities."

"Right." Twilight said. She didn't like being dismissed like that but figured that she couldn't do anything about it at the moment. "Show me."

"This is a skill easy to learn but hard to master." Chrysalis started. "You won't be transforming into anypony right away, at least not properly."

"I can always try." Twilight loved a challenge. After all, this was just a different form of magic, wasn't it? And magic was her special talent after all. For as long as it lasted…

"Indeed. There will be much 'trying.' You'll see." Chrysalis said.

A plume of fire engulfed Chrysalis, causing Twilight to take a step back in surprise.

The flames disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. "It's that simple." Cadance said.

"Sure it is." Twilight frowned. "But what did you do? All I saw was a column of fire and now you're Cadance." She said as she rubbed her chin in thought.

"I am not Cadance." Chrysalis said with a nearly unnoticeable hint of venom in her voice. "I look like Cadance, I walk like Cadance, I talk like Cadance but I am not Cadance."

"But how do you do it?" Twilight asked, growing a bit impatient.

"Doing it is easy." Chrysalis said, shedding her disguise as an ember of green flame flowed across her body. "Doing it right on the other hoof… Picture somepony. For example, Shining armor here." The queen walked over to her bed, where Shining Armor slept.

"You know your brother here like nopony else." She stated. "Picture him in your mind's eye. Imagine his coat, his mane, his structure. Imagine his voice, how he walks. You'll know what to do."

Twilight did as she was instructed. Recalling Shining Armor wasn't hard. The stallion was laying right in front of her, safe and sound in the bubble the queen had encased him in.

As she imagined, she felt a spark ignite deep inside her. She tried funneling some magic into it.

The spark, in turn, ignited something. Some primal force that grew into a fire, enveloping her entire body.

And like before, the fire disappeared soon after.

Chrysalis looked her over with a critical eye. "Well… it's a start." She said. "Though I must say, I've never seen a Changeling do something like that."

"Huh?" Twilight asked. Her voice was still the same. She lifted her hooves. They were still filled with holes.

Only now her coat was as white as snow. Twilight turned around and looked in the mirror.

Her entire body was white, even her cutie mark. Her mane and tail stayed the same though.

"Okay, I did not expect that to happen." Twilight said as she looked at her reflection. She didn't look half bad like this. Maybe add a few freckles.

"Try to change back now." Chrysalis said.

Twilight tried. The queen hadn't given her any instructions so she just tried what seemed obvious to her: just let go off the image of Shining Armor.

But that didn't seem to work.

"How do I change back?" Twilight asked but received no answer. She turned around. "Huh? Where did you go?" The queen was nowhere to be seen.

Twilight looked around but she saw no trace of her mother. Shining Armor was still there though, still asleep and-

Her eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here?!" She backed away and into the mirror as a tall dark mare strode over to her.

"Pitiful foal!" Nightmare Moon cried out. "I go and stand where I please! I'll see to it that you will be punished for your insolence!"

Nightmare Moon glared at the cowering Changeling princess, before erupting in a fit of laughter. "You should see the look on your face!" Nightmare Moon mocked, before turning back into the Changeling queen.

"That wasn't funny!" Twilight fumed as she attempted to regain her composure.

"Sure it was." Chrysalis said. "Just a bit of harmless fun. Come on, you stared down the real Nightmare Moon, didn't you?"

"Yeah but there I had my friends backing me up." Twilight said. Seeing Nightmare Moon like that had spooked her greatly, even if she had squared off with her before. Twice if you counted the Nightmare Night incident.

"That may be true but you still charged in on your own after her, didn't you?" Chrysalis asked.

"Well, yes but… wait, how did you know that?" Twilight asked in confusion.

"I may not have been around all the time but I still kept my eye on you." Chrysalis said. "Well, my eyes. That Praetorian you saw earlier, he followed you around your entire life, keeping you safe and informing me of your wellbeing."

"That's… that's kinda creepy." Twilight admitted. She had never even noticed that. But they could turn invisible, so there wasn't much to notice. "Anyway, what was up with that? Why did you scare me like that?" She asked, trying to return to the situation at hoof.

"Oh? So you were scared?" Chrysalis teased. "But I did so to shock you. A decent shock serves well to undo a Changeling's disguise." She pointed at the mirror, where Twilight saw that she had her near-black color again. And her cutie mark too.

"And I admit, it's fun too." Chrysalis said, enjoying the disgruntled look on her daughter's face.

"You and I have very different concepts of fun." Twilight said, still looking into the mirror to check for any other differences. Was her top left star darker or was it just her imagination?

"Indeed we do." Chrysalis said playfully. "But give it time. In a thousand years you learn to appreciate new things."

"Sure." Twilight said, rolling her eyes before turning back to face her mother. "Care to explain why you felt the need to 'help' me like that?"

"Because obviously you couldn't do it on your own." Chrysalis said. "Letting go of a disguise is even harder than assuming the disguise in the first place. In time it will become easier." She said. "You tried to just let go of the image, didn't you?"

Twilight nodded. "It seemed logical."

"Don't do it like that. You're too familiar with Shining Armor's image. Instead, you need to force the image away, not wait for it to go away on its own. It doesn't work like that." Chrysalis explained.

"Anything else I need to know?" Twilight asked.

Chrysalis tapped her chin in thought. "About changing, no. All I can say about it now is practice, practice and practice. But perhaps I could demonstrate the proper use of a disguise."

"Sure." Twilight said, wondering what the queen could mean by that.

"Positively marvelous darling." Rarity said. "One can never have too much information on such subjects."

"Huh?" Twilight looked up in confusion. "Rarity? Where di- oh, I get it." The princess gave a short laugh. "Not bad, you almost had me fooled."

"Given your initial reaction, darling." Rarity said with glee. "I'd say that I did have you fooled. Don't try and deny it dear, it happens to the best of us." With that said 'Rarity' was consumed by a flash of fire, revealing the Changeling queen once more.

"I admit, that was good." Twilight was amazed. She hadn't expected the queen to pull of such a good impersonation of one of her best friends.

"Now, now dear, flattery will get you nowhere." Chrysalis said, still using Rarity's voice. "But I see that you can appreciate a somewhat decent work of mimicry."

"Mimicry?" Twilight asked.

"Impersonation." Chrysalis said, using her own voice again. "Copying somepony's actions, speech patterns, way of breathing, everything that can help you assume somepony's identity."

"Can you teach me?" Twilight asked.

"No." Chrysalis said. "You'll have to figure that out on your own." She then turned into a copy of Twilight herself, only as a purple Unicorn again.

"I'm sure you can do that." Unicorn Twilight said with a smile.

"Very funny." The real Twilight said. Chrysalis mouthed the words as she said them.

Twilight rolled her eyes and so did her copycat. "Stop it." They said.

"Seriously, stop it." Twilight repeated herself. She stomped a hoof in frustration, as did her copy.

She groaned, as did Chrysalis. "This is just like in magic kindergarten." She said, recalling the stupid games the other Unicorns had occupied themselves with.

"You really need to lighten up." Chrysalis said, turning back into herself. "Got any other questions?"

"Not really." Twilight said, though her mind was working overtime to try and figure out how to make use of this information.

"Good. Now try again." Chrysalis said. "Think of somepony else this time. Somepony that you're not all that familiar with but still know."

Twilight nodded. "I think I know somepony." They had only met briefly but Twilight remembered that mare well.

Again, she visualized the mare in her mind's eye and allowed her magic to run its course.

"Much better." Chrysalis said. "Your mane's still off though."

Twilight looked in the mirror again. She was a little surprised to see the Great and Powerful Trixie staring back at her. Only difference that she immediately noticed was that Trixie still had Twilight's Changeling mane, dyed in Trixie's color. "That wasn't so bad." Twilight said, noting that her voice was still the same too. "I thought familiar ponies were supposed to be easier?"

"Usually that's right. But as you can see, your disguise is not perfect yet." Chrysalis reminded her, pointing out the various details that weren't quite perfect yet. "You need more practice." She said, pointing at Twilight's cutie mark on her left flank, whilst the other flank had a cape and wand design.

"The Great and Powerful Twilight knows that!" Twilight said, trying her hoof at mimicking Trixie but falling a bit short. "She will do her best!" She proclaimed, trying to sound as confident as the showmare had been.

Chrysalis nodded. "You know, I thought I recognized that mare from somewhere… never mind, change back now. And try to do it right this time."

Twilight nodded. Again, she tried to force the image of her copied pony away. She closed her eyes and focused.

She mentally pushed against the image of Trixie sitting in her mind's eyes. She focused her mind on that single task and…

"Twilight Sparkle!" Somepony cried out in anger, causing Twilight to lose her focus entirely. "Why haven't I received your homework yet? You're tardy!" A portly green Unicorn scolded her, giving the blue Unicorn a glare that would make any filly or colt tremble in their seat.

Twilight's eye twitched. "Very funny." She said as she stared down the short Unicorn in front of her. "Miss Shimmer Shine was my least favorite teacher in magic kindergarten." Twilight said. "How did you even know that?"

"A mother knows these things." Miss Shimmer Shine said. "And having invisible spies helps too. You didn't do half bad, but you kept that Unicorn's mane color this time."

Chrysalis turned back into her old self. "But that's enough for now. You know the basics. All you need to do is practice, practice, practice." She repeated her earlier advice, as if it were a mantra to live by.

Twilight nodded but she had her doubts. "Are you sure about that?" She questioned. "Can't we keep practicing for a while?" She needed to be able to assume her old form before leaving here. Or at least a passable disguise, so she wouldn't stick out like a sore hoof while in Canterlot.

"But I still need to show you so much." Chrysalis said. "Tell you what, if we have some time left, I'll help you practice. If not, I'll help you along with your disguise."

"You can do that?" Twilight asked.

"Of course. How else do you think I hid you for eighteen years with your foster family?" Chrysalis looked a bit insulted.

A thought struck Twilight. It was something that had been in the back of her head since she woke up the other day, something that was bothering her. "What… what happened to my parent's real foal?" She asked nervously.

Chrysalis froze at that question, before turning to look her daughter in the eyes. "I was afraid you might ask." She said. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Twilight nodded. "I do, for their sake." And for her own. She wanted, no, needed to know what happened to the one whose life she was living.

"Come, I'll show you. Don't worry about your brother, he's safe here." Chrysalis assured her.

Twilight trailed after the queen as she led them out the royal bedroom and deep into the hive.

Celestia had taken a page from Twilight's book and had prepared a checklist. One that would surely make the purple Unicorn shed a tear in joy and pride.

She ran a hoof over the list, stopping at the appropriate mark. "Saddlebags?" She asked out loud.

"Check!" Rainbow Dash said, pointing at the pile of bags laying in the middle of the courtyard.

Celestia ticked off the box saying 'saddlebag' and moved on to the next. "Supplies?" She called out.

"Checkers!" Pinkie yelled as she balanced three boxes of various sweets on her nose. "This should keep us going for a while. Half an hour at least."

"Pinkie Pie, I meant vital supplies." Celestia clarified, though she was highly amused by the party pony's antics. Unlike Luna.

"Vital?" Pinkie asked dramatically. "What could be more vital than cupcakes?"

"Water and rations." Luna said. "Stuff that'll keep you alive."

"Cupcakes keep me alive." Pinkie said cheerfully.

"And on a permanent sugar high, I assume." Luna muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something Luna?" Celestia asked.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Luna said quickly. "I am just anxious to leave. I haven't been in the Wastelands in a thousand years."

"What are they like?" Rarity asked. "They sound absolutely dreadful."

"Oh that's only because they are, in fact, dreadful." Luna said cheerfully. "The air's so rich in sulfur that ordinary ponies drop dead in a few hours."

Everypony stared at her in shock.

"What?" Luna asked. "I'll protect you all, I do know my way around the Wastelands and I know a spell to allow you all to breathe there."

"Well that's a relief." Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"Do you know where their hive is then?" Celestia asked, hoping for a clearer answer this time.

"I already told you, I do not." Luna said, mildly annoyed. "Ammy and I only ventured into the Wastelands, never into the hive. The Changelings do not appreciate strangers entering their home."

"How do ya suppose they'll react to us?" Applejack asked. "Because, you know, we're trying to enter their home too. And we're strangers."

"And how will you find their lair anyway?" Rarity pitched in.

"All will be revealed in due time, my little ponies." Luna said. "But if things do get hairy, I will teleport us to safety."

"Can't you just teleport us in?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Because that'd be great."

"I need to conserve my energy, in case we run into trouble." She said. "And even if I had energy to spare, I still have no direction, nor a clear image of where I am to go." She explained. "If I were to teleport, I would probably get us all stuck in a rock or buried beneath the ashes."

"Forget I ever asked." Rainbow Dash said quickly. Being permanently fused to a rock would severely hinder her chances at becoming a Wonderbolt.

"Are we all set?" Luna asked. "I intend to leave as soon as the night falls."

"I think we are." Rainbow Dash said.

"Wait! Does anypony know what happened to my lute?" Pinkie asked. "I can't be a bard and boost our moral without my lute!"

"Pinkie, I will not wait for such trivialities." Luna said, hoping that nopony had seen her beat up the instrument, before breaking it apart, throwing it around for a while and then setting it on fire. She had then proceeded to dump the remains into the castle moat, just to be safe.

Luna truly detested lutes... Almost as much as the Pony Pokey.

"Never mind, I'll use my emergency stash." Pinkie said with glee. She moved to a nearby shrubbery, stuck her hoof in it and pulled out a sparkling new instrument. "You never know when you might run into a lute emergency." She said as she began to tune the new string instrument.

Luna's eye twitched. "Anypony care to explain this to me?" She asked, trying to stick to her modern speech and not revert to the Traditional Canterlot Voice in frustration.

"Well, it's best not to think too hard about it." Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.

"Back in Ponyville, we just chalk it up to Pinkie being Pinkie." Applejack said.

"But it doesn't make any sense!" Luna couldn't keep herself from crying out.

"Wait!" Somepony yelled. The group turned to the entrance of the castle, from where a white Unicorn came running. "You aren't leaving without saying goodbye, are you?" Blueblood panted as he came to a stop in front of the group.

Rarity's eyes widened. "You!" She hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, I live here?" Blueblood offered. "And I want to say goodbye to my aunt?" He shrugged. Of all the ponies that would be here, it just had to be her…

"Leave him be Rarity." Luna said, walking over to her nephew. "Are you sure you haven't changed your mind nephew?" She asked, hoping for a different answer this time.

"I'm sure aunty." Blueblood said. "I would only slow you down." The white Unicorn reached into his vest and pulled out a simple silver broche with a round red stone imbedded in it. "Here." He said. "Take this, it's my good luck charm. Be sure to bring it back to me, along with her."

"Thank you Bluey." Luna said as she clipped the broche on her cloak. "I will do my best." She promised, hoping that she'd be able to keep that promise to her favorite nephew.

Celestia walked over to Luna and hugged her. "Thank you for doing this Luna." She said gratefully.

"Thank me when I bring Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle back safely." Luna said.

"Did you pack an extra cloak?" Celestia asked.

"Of course I did." Luna scoffed. She hated it when Celestia decided to act all motherly. Her sister was only a few thousand years older than her, after all.

"And did you feed the bats this time?" Celestia teased. She knew exactly how to grind her little sister's gears.

"I'm pretty sure I did." Luna said, trying to recall if she had actually done that or not.

"Do you really have to go sis?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ah don't wanna see you go too."

"Ah know lil sis." Applejack sat down next to Apple Bloom. "But we need to save Twilight. And maybe we'll be able to save Mac as well. It's a long shot, but we have to try." Applejack pulled her sister into a hug. "Now be a good lil filly and listen to what Rarity tells yah, okay?"

"Okay." Apple Bloom sniffed.

"That's a good filly." Applejack ruffled her little sister's mane.

Scootaloo then walked up to Rainbow Dash. "Hey squirt." Rainbow Dash said. "You gonna be okay without me?"

"Uh, sure Rainbow Dash." Scootaloo said. "Hey, when you've come back and saved Twilight and Equestria and kicked the queen's butt, can you… nah never mind." She said, losing her nerve halfway through her sentence.

Rainbow Dash smirked. "Kid, if you want flying lessons, just say it." She said. "I'll be more than glad to teach you. Who knows, you might become as awesome at it as me."

"Really?" Scootaloo's eyes lit up.

"Well, maybe." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "If you try hard enough."

"Wow! Thanks Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo said happily before running back to Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Rainbow Dash noticed a spring in her step that wasn't there before.

"So, ya got a soft spot after all?" Applejack nudged her.

"What?" Rainbow Dash blushed. "Kid needs guidance, who better to provide it than me?"

Applejack chuckled. "Sure. Keep telling yourself that."

"What was your cutie mark like?" Twilight asked, breaking the awkward silence that had reigned during their walk.

"A quill and an inkwell." Chrysalis said, taking a moment to fondly remember the marking. "I was a writer." She turned to look at her now blank flank, noting the obvious lack of such an image.

"Really?" Twilight asked as they turned right. "What did you write? Are any of your books still around?"

"A few." Chrysalis said, now turning left with Twilight right beside her. "The Mare in the Moon is one of them. Who knows why Celestia kept that in production though."

"You wrote that?" Twilight's eyes widened. "If I hadn't read that book, I would never have known about Nightmare Moon."

"You're welcome." Chrysalis said. "I gave you your copy for your thirteenth birthday."

"Huh?" Twilight was confused.

"It was a gift. You know, a birthday present?" Chrysalis said. "I left it by your bed."

"I always thought Shining Armor gave that to me." Twilight admitted.

"All for the better I suppose." Chrysalis sighed. "That you didn't know, I mean. You could've been found out. Mother told me not to interfere with my heir's life until you were ready to return home. Of course, I never listened."

The royals came to a stop in a small but bright room. "We're at one of the deepest points of the hive now." Chrysalis said. "No other Changelings are permitted here. It's a like a holy place just for us royalty."

Twilight could see several slates standing upright. Tombstones, she realized. "Are these… you know?" She struggled with her words.

"Indeed." Chrysalis said. "The hive is most grateful for their sacrifice, as unwilling or inevitable as it was. Nearly all of the foals buried here were stillborn." She pointed to a particular stone. "That's hers."

Twilight nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll allow you some time here, if you need it." Chrysalis said before retreating back into the hallway.

Twilight stayed silent and turned back to the stone. It was rather unremarkable. There were no ornate carvings, no wishes or epitaphs. No clever poem, like on great-aunt Glimmer or a quote, like on grandma Twilight Twinkle.

Just a name. Twilight Sparkle written in both Equestrian and in those weird squiggly lines that the Changelings seemed to use as written language.

It was an odd sensation for Twilight Sparkle, standing in front of what could be called her own grave. "Hi." Twilight said to the tombstone. "You don't know me and I don't know you but I know your parents and your brother. They… they obviously loved you very much. And I…" She struggled, trying to put her thoughts into words. "I'm just so… I'm sorry. For taking your place in their heart." She eventually managed.

Silence reigned for a while as Twilight searched for more words to say. But what do you say to the one whose life you've been living?

"I'm sorry." She said again, not knowing what else to say. "Maybe under different circumstances, we could've been friends."

She knelt before the grave and said a little prayer, in hope to set the real Twilight Sparkle's spirit at ease.

"Are you okay?" Chrysalis asked as she came back into the room.

"I'm fine." Twilight lied. "Just a bit overwhelmed."

"I understand." Chrysalis said, noticing the blatant lie her daughter told her with ease. She pointed her hoof at the tombstone next to Twilight Sparkle's. "That's the real Starlight's grave." She clarified. "To this day, I'm still not sure if she was stillborn or if mother had something to do with it…" She grit her teeth in suppressed frustration.

Twilight cringed at what Chrysalis implied. "Can we go now? I'd like to get out of here." The place was unsettling to her and probably to the queen as well.

"Very well." Chrysalis said. "We should head onwards to more pleasant places." The queen said, leading the way once more.

The rescue party had left Canterlot behind them, leaving as soon as Luna had raised the moon. It shone nearly twice as bright as usual, illuminating their path. The four ponies were now well and truly on their way to the border separating Equestria from the Wastelands

"I don't get why we're even travelling by night." Rainbow Dash remarked. "It's dark and there's all sorts of evil creatures of the night lurking around."

"That may be so." Luna said, feeling slightly insulted by that remark. "But you're travelling in the company of the Princess of the Night herself. No foul creature will dare to disturb us as we go." She claimed proudly.

"Yeah, yeah." Rainbow Dash said with a yawn. "All I know is that I already miss my bed."

"Dash, we just left." Applejack said. "We ain't making camp just yet you know."

Rainbow Dash just shrugged and flew off. Moments later she returned with a small cloud, on which she laid down. She gently beat her wings to keep going as fast as the ground dwelling members of the group.

Applejack groaned in annoyance as the rainbow Pegasus took the easy way out, as usual.

"Say, princess." Applejack turned to Luna, in an attempt to ignore Rainbow Dash. "What's with the shiny rock? The one the prince gave ya?"

"It's his lucky charm." Luna said, lifting a hoof to the broche clasped on her cloak. "Bluey's a good kid, not many ponies know that." She rubbed the red gem fondly.

"All I know is that he was a total jerk to Rarity at the gala." Rainbow Dash said with a shrug.

"Yes, he gets like that around mares like Rarity." Luna admitted. "He makes an ass of himself in the hopes that mares like her will leave him alone."

"So you're saying he's not a prissy, stuck-up prince?" Applejack asked.

"Of course he is." Luna laughed. "This is Blueblood we're talking about after all."

-Meanwhile, back in Canterlot-

"Hatchoo!" Blueblood sneezed. "I'm sorry, where were we?"

"Just sign here prince." Brass Bit said.

-Back with the rescue party-

"But he's not all bad." Luna said. "He's a good kid. He actually convinced me to go to Ponyville on Nightmare Night. If it weren't for him, I'd have just stayed put in my room." That night had been one of the best she had had since returning from her exile, even with the rocky start.

"So the two of you're close?" Rainbow Dash asked.

Luna nodded. "Very. Bluey's a real home body, he's always around the castle. He too has difficulties relating to other ponies, thus we gravitated to each other." She said.

"Listen, it's none of mah business… but is Blueblood sweet on Twilight?" Applejack asked, having been pondering about that all day.

"Yes." Luna said abruptly. "That's why he came in, running and screaming today. He demanded that we send an army after Twilight."

"That would've been cool." Rainbow Dash admitted, though she had no idea about how she should feel about Blueblood fancying her favorite egghead.

"Not you too…" Luna grumbled as she momentarily lifted up from the path and sailed besides Rainbow Dash . "Do I need to raise my voice at you too? Because I can and will do so."

"Never mind." Rainbow Dash said quickly, beating her wings just a tad bit harder to propel her cloud along faster than the princess was flying right now.

"Something bothering you princess?" Applejack asked, noting Luna's expression.

"Yes. The fact that everypony I talk to seems to think it's a good idea to send out an army!" Luna raised her voice. "It's preposterous! My nephew even suggest we started building Pylons again!"

"What's a Pylon?" Applejack asked.

"Unicorn weapon, used about two thousand years ago." Rainbow Dash said. "It's like a tower that links together a dozen or so Unicorns and focuses their magic into this massive beam of energy that destroys everything in its path!"

"I didn't know you were so versed in ancient weaponry." Luna said, impressed that the Pegasus even knew what such a Unicorn-specific weapon was.

Rainbow Dash just shrugged. "I read the Daring Do books. In 'Daring Do and the Chalice of Vengeance', Ahuitzotl gets his hands on a Pylon to try and kill Daring Do. Obviously he fails and gets his butt kicked by Daring Do, after which she steals his keys and frees the Unicorns inside the weapon."

"I see…" Luna was a bit shocked at that revelation, though she did not show it. She was surprised that ponies took such matter so lightly in this day and age, as to feature weapons of war in foal's books like that.

She had seen the tools in action. Back then, they were the greatest weapons ever produced. Now, they were amongst the stuff that littered her occasional nightmares.

"You should read them!" Rainbow Dash said excitingly, oblivious to Luna's feelings on the matter. "They're so awesome! Twilight has the whole collection, so just ask her once we get her back."

"I'll keep that in mind." Luna said, though she didn't feel like this series was her cup of tea.

Applejack noticed a certain member of the group hanging back. "Hey Pinkie, you okay?" The farmer asked. "We haven't heard from you since we left Canterlot?" She was getting a bit worried.

"Why'd you have to mention that?!" Luna cried out. "She was quiet and made some sort of sense for a while!"

"I'm fine." Pinkie Pie sighed. "I'm just worried."

"About Twilight and Shining Armor?" Luna inquired. She may dislike the pink pony's penchant for randomness but she knew her heart was in the right place.

"Sort of." Pinkie frowned, causing Applejack to gasp. Rainbow Dash took it a step further and actually fell off her cloud in shock. "I'm just worried about… what if Twilight doesn't want to come home?"

"What do you mean by that?" Rainbow Dash asked, once she had gotten over her shock from seeing Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, frown.

"I mean that now she's with her real mom and she's a princess and she's going to rule her own kingdom..." Pinkie rambled. "And that might mean she'll miss my next party! And the one after that!"

"Pinkie, calm down." Applejack laid a hoof on the party pony's shoulder. "Ah get that you're upset but there's no reason to. We'll find Twilight and sort this whole mess out, okay?"

"Okey-dokey." Pinkie Pie smiled again, causing Applejack and Rainbow Dash to sigh in relief.

"Pinkie, never do that again." Rainbow Dash warned, laying a hoof on Pinkie's other shoulder. "And I mean never. It creeps me out!"

"What is this place?" Twilight asked. The room they were in right now was bathed in a green light. Hexagonal indentations lined the walls, reminding Twilight of the cells in a beehive.

"This is the nursery." Chrysalis said with glee. "Where all your little baby brothers are waiting to be hatched when the time is right."

"Hatched?" Twilight cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Like from an egg? How is that even possible?"

"Easily." Chrysalis said. "When the Changeling inside matures enough, he will crack open the egg an-"

"That's not what I meant." Twilight interrupted her. "I mean that it's not logical."

"Not much is logical about Changelings." Chrysalis admitted. "We look like mammals and act like insects. We have venomous fangs and we lay eggs… We're like platypuses."

Twilight's eye twitched. That didn't make any sense either. She was beginning to wonder if the queen did this on purpose, knowing of her inquisitive nature.

"Any other questions?" Chrysalis simply adored the look of confusion on her daughter's face.

"Yes! How does this even work?" Twilight nearly screamed. "It doesn't make any scientific sense!"

Chrysalis shook her head, preparing to explain the facts of life to her daughter. "Well my dear, when a Changeling queen…

Twilight's eyes were a milky white in color, not like when she had one of her magic episodes as they did not glow. She just stared at nothing, her eyes being unseeing as she stood there frozen.

Chrysalis tapped her hoof in impatience.

Suddenly the color returned to Twilight's eyes and she drew in a deep breath. "What happened?" She asked, feeling like something was off but she couldn't really put her hoof on what it was.

"What happened?" Chrysalis asked. "You altered your own memory, that's what happened."

"Why would I do that?" Twilight asked.

"It seems that you found the facts of Changeling life a bit too horrifying." Chrysalis said with a chuckle.

"Really? That bad?" Twilight asked. Princess Celestia had taught her all about such mind altering spells, though she warned her to only use them when necessary and to tread lightly whilst performing them.

"Oh yes." Chrysalis said. "You see, when a Changeling queen…

"Stop doing that!" Twilight screamed after reapplying her memory spell. Only this time she left herself a note about it, telling her not to let Chrysalis undo her spell again. "Stop unraveling my spell!"

"You do know that I can put a better charm on you, right?" Chrysalis asked. "Mind magic is a Changeling's forte." She said proudly.

"I don't trust you enough to let you mess with my mind." Twilight said.

"It's not like I'd slip up or anything." Chrysalis scoffed. "I know my way around the mind better than anypony else. But if you're adamant on doing it yourself, then I-"

'Crack!' The sound echoed across the room, drawing both Twilight and Chrysalis's attention to it.

Chrysalis smiled, though for once she kept her fangs where they belonged, and rubbed her hooves together in glee. "This is just perfect!" She said.

She rushed over to one of the lower cells and beckoned Twilight to come closer.

Twilight did so nervously, hoping that this wouldn't trigger another relapse. She stared at the egg, which was green in color, and waited with baited breath as the first crack grew larger.


	9. Apologies

Guys, guys. I am so frickin sorry that I have not uploaded anything in months. I promise that I will get back to my stories as soon as possible.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"What are you doing all the way over there?" Chrysalis asked. "He won't bite…" She said, before showing that toothy grin again. "I'm lying. He will bite. Might even puncture your skin."

"That's the reason why I'm all the way over here." Twilight said. She sat and watched from a relatively safe distance. The egg wiggled around due to the inhabitant trying to escape. Twilight wasn't sure whether or not it was some kind of creepy creature and thus stayed away for the time being.

The room itself wasn't helping either. Whereas the other rooms she had been in thus far had been illuminated by an eerie blue light, this 'nursery' was bathed in a dark green glow. The light created strange shadows in the various indentations in the walls, which made Twilight feel rather uncomfortable.

The egg itself wasn't aware of her discomfort or the odd feel of the room. It just wiggled around a bit, occasionally cracking a bit more. It had done so for the past hour or so and there was still no newly hatched Changeling to behold.

"Shouldn't we help?" Twilight asked eventually. "He's probably tired now."

"No." Chrysalis said flat-out. "Every Changeling needs to do this on their own. There is no place for weak soldiers here." She added.

"Oh." Twilight simply said. She frowned as she thought about what the queen meant.

'CRACK!'

Twilight jumped back a little more, much to the queen's amusement. The egg had gone from relatively intact to splitting down the middle, in less than a few seconds.

"That's it, my son." Chrysalis cooed as the egg shook with renewed vigor. "You can do it, make your mother proud!"

The egg fell apart entirely and Twilight braced herself for what monstrosity might dwell within.

But instead, she saw a tiny Changeling tumble out of the shell. No tentacles, no mandibles or overly creepy dexterous appendages. Just a little Changeling with bright blue eyes that stared curiously at everything around it. He had a short, fin-like mane and a stub for a tail.

"There we go." Chrysalis said, leaning down to nuzzle her newborn son. "This one will be a strong soldier, I can tell."

"Is it a boy?" Twilight asked as she gingerly stepped closer, trying not to scare her newest sibling.

"It is indeed." Chrysalis said as she levitated the remaining pieces of shell off of the Changeling nymph. "All Changelings born are male." She told Twilight. "Except you and I, of course."

Twilight inched closer and closer to the little Changeling. For some reason that she couldn't explain, she felt drawn to this little guy. "This must be how Shining Armor felt." She told herself as she lowered herself to the floor, to be at eye level with her little brother.

The nymph stared at her curiously. He stood up on four shaky legs and took a step towards Twilight, only to collapse mid-step.

Twilight's horn flared and she grabbed ahold of the nymph before her could fall over. "No!" Chrysalis's horn lit up too and seemingly broke Twilight's grip on the nymph. "He needs to learn on his own. You must not coddle them."

"I was just trying to help." Twilight said defensively.

"I know but you'll only hurt him in the long run." Chrysalis said, her eyes fixed on the nymph as he struggled to get to his little hooves again. "He needs to do this on his own. I did, you did and every Changeling hatched before him did and every Changeling hatched after him will do so too."

Twilight nodded. As usual, she understood what the queen meant. That didn't mean that she liked it though. What was wrong with lending a helping hoof every once in a while?

By now the nymph had gotten up again. He took a tentative step towards Twilight. And another. And another!

And then he fell over again. Twilight figured that a pony foal would have started crying by now, but Changelings weren't the same as ponies. Not anymore.

Chrysalis observed her son with an approving look. "He's a fighter." She said, seeing the nymph scramble to his hooves again as if nothing had happened.

Soon enough he had made it all the way over to Twilight. Of course, the princess was only a few feet away but that was a lot of ground to cover for a newly hatched Changeling.

"Hi there." Twilight said. The nymph's eyes widened at the sound of her voice and he promptly sat down, the look of curiosity never leaving his face. "What's his name?" Twilight asked the queen, though she didn't look away from her little brother.

"Name?" Chrysalis asked. "He doesn't have one. Nor will he ever have one. The majority of Changelings get upset if you call them by a name." She explained. "They feel it bears down on their unity with the queen."

"That sounds rather odd." Twilight said, a giggle escaping her mouth as the nymph booped her nose with his front left hoof. "How can you tell everypony apart?" She asked.

"We are all linked into the hivemind." Chrysalis strode over to her children. Her horn glowed as she began to lift the nymph off the ground. "And I know each and every Changeling by their place in the hivemind."

The infant flailed his limbs about in a near comical fashion as the ground underneath him suddenly disappeared. He calmed back down as Chrysalis's face came into view, prompting him to stick out his little hooves in an attempt to reach her.

"He is not linked yet." Chrysalis said as she inspected her son for any flaws. "It takes a few months before a Changeling finds their place in it." She lowered her son to the ground again and turned back to Twilight. "You were moved from here days after you hatched, long before you could be tuned in to us. That is being fixed as we speak. It has been causing those headaches of yours."

"I see." Twilight said, thinking about it. It would be straining for her mind to be integrated into something bigger than herself. "It makes sense, I think." Twilight couldn't help but still this as a newly discovered field of research for her. That was just the way her mind worked.

"It doesn't." Chrysalis said. "But we make do with what we've got." She shrugged.

"Anyway, he seems to like you." Chrysalis noted as the nymph decided to ignore the queen for the time being. Instead, he began the perilous journey to his sister once more. "Would you like to feed him for the first time?" The queen asked.

"What?" Twilight cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"His first dose of love." Chrysalis clarified. "You should have a vast amount of love left from Shining Armor."

"I guess I could give it a go." Twilight said. She wasn't terribly enthusiastic about the idea of sharing Shining Armor's love. On the other hoof, this was for her new little brother.

"What do I do?" She asked.

"Find the love that's coursing through your veins." Chrysalis instructed. "Gather it. Focus it and move it to your horn."

Twilight closed her eyes. Once again, the queen was rather vague about what she had to do. So she tried to visualize it. She imagined the love her big brother had 'given' her as a stream, a river of pink or red energy.

A warm glow suddenly became clear to her, as it coursed throughout her entire body. The glow told her that she had found it. But it was not alone. The love of several other ponies was there as well. Her mother, her father, princess Celestia, her friends, Spike. It was all there for her. Waiting for her to use it.

She taped into Shining Armor's love, as it was the biggest supply she had at the moment. But the instant she did so, Twilight noticed that there was something wrong with it.

It wasn't hers, she realized. It wasn't intended for her but for somepony else. "Cadance." She whispered as the love gathered in the tip of her horn, causing it to glow its usual purple color, though a nearly unnoticeable dash of green was flickering in and out of existence in it.

"Now touch your horn to his." Chrysalis continued, pleased to see that her daughter was so quick to discover this.

Twilight slowly lowered her horn to the nymph. The little guy had been watching with interest, observing curiously as the grownups talked and performed their strange magic.

The big sister touched her horn to her little brother's, causing a few green sparks to erupt from the tips.

She channeled Shining Armor's love through her horn and offered it to the Changeling. The nymph eagerly accepted it.

The transfer felt rather draining to Twilight. As if every bit of energy was suddenly leaving her body.

"That's enough." Chrysalis said after a few seconds. Twilight yelped in shock as the queen lightly shoved her backwards, severing the link between the two Changelings.

"What was that for?" Twilight asked as she attempted to regain her composure. Her wings had opened up instinctively to balance herself, so she didn't have much trouble to do so.

"Don't overfeed him." Chrysalis said as she levitated the nymph away from Twilight, before placing him at her own hooves. "Newborn Changelings only need a smidgen of love. With what you gave him, he'll last for over a month." She bowed down and nuzzled her son, who was licking his lips in approval of his meal.

"Really?" Twilight mentally checked on the love that coursed through her. There was barely any difference, almost as if none of it had been transferred. Even the feeling of being drained was gone entirely.

Chrysalis nodded. "Indeed. A single pony's love is enough to feed the entire hive for a few weeks."

Twilight looked at her, a skeptic look on her face. "A single pony? You expect me to believe that a single pony can produce enough love to keep three thousand some-odd Changelings going?" It should be impossible for a single creature to produce such levels of energy.

"Six thousand some-odd, if you include converts." Chrysalis smirked. Again, she did her best to show off her sharp fangs. "But what you fail to realize is that love is a very, very powerful emotion. It, above all other emotions, is our lifeblood. And it's even more powerful if given willingly."

Chrysalis put a hoof to her chin, as if in thought. "But perhaps it's best if I just show you what I mean." She said before stomping her hoof twice. She then send out a message through her connection to the rest of the hive. Twilight felt the message too but as before, she didn't understand it.

Some Changeling did. Twilight could hear somepony running towards them. Mere moments later, a portly drone approached them. "My queen? My princess?" She bowed before Chrysalis and Twilight.

"Take care of this nymph." Chrysalis said, her hoof moving towards her son's last known location. Problem was that he wasn't there anymore.

"Over here." Twilight groaned in slight annoyance. At some point, her little brother had decided that Twilight's tail was an ideal chew toy and that it was a good idea to sink his teeth into it. "You're lucky that you're such a cute little guy." Twilight said. A smile had found its way onto her face. The little Changeling reminded her of Spike when he was younger. He too found it rather amusing to munch on her tail for some reason.

The assigned caretaker quickly picked up the nymph and made and attempt to pull Twilight's tail from his mouth.

Twilight had a flashback to her childhood, back to when Spike did the same thing and Shining Armor attempted to pull him off of her.

"Ouch!" She cried out as the drone pulled a bit too roughly, ripping out some hairs from Twilight's tail.

"My apologies!" The drone fell to her knees, quacking in fear. "Please, I did not mean to!"

"Uh, it's okay." Twilight said, taking a look at her brother who was now attempting to spit out the few stray strands he had managed to pull out. "I know you didn't mean to do that."

"Get him out of here." Chrysalis ordered with a serious tone. "And keep a close eye on him."

"Of course my queen!" The drone groveled and bowed before the royal pair. She then stood up on shaky hooves and placed the nymph on her back between her wings and ran off as quickly as she could.

"That's taken care of." Chrysalis said. "Come, I'll explain on the way there and… what are you doing back here?" She asked.

Twilight looked down. Her little brother was sitting at her hooves again. "Hey little guy." She said. A look towards the other side of the room revealed that the drone hadn't noticed the absence of the nymph yet, as she just kept running as fast as her hooves could carry her.

The queen ignored the drone for the time being and lifted her son up to eyelevel once more. "You are a stubborn one. Nothing good ever comes from stubborn soldiers."

The nymph didn't understand the severity of Chrysalis's words and just tried to grab ahold of her nose.

Chrysalis rolled her eyes and placed the nymph back on the ground.

"Can't he come with us?" Twilight asked. "I don't think he'll be much of a bother." And she wanted to spend some time with her new little brother. She had never been a big sister before. Well, except to Spike but she wasn't entirely sure what the dragon thought of her when it came to relation. So this could be a new experience for her.

Now that she thought about it, nearly everything so far had been a new experience for her.

"He should be sleeping now, to conserve his energy." Chrysalis said, her lips curling into a smile as the little Changeling latched onto Twilight's leg. "But if you insist. A few hours can't do much harm. But come along now."

Twilight nodded. A look of surprise came over her face as the nymph proceeded to scale her leg and make his way onto her back.

"He's surprisingly nimble." Twilight admitted as her little brother settled on her back between her wings. Right in the same spot that Spike preferred to lay. She missed Spike, she realized.

"Indeed." Chrysalis said before focusing on the hivemind again and sending out a new message to the drone they had seen before, along with something else.

A yelp of pain was heard, a bit further away from them. Twilight took an involuntary step away from the queen. "What did you just do?" She asked, her voice betraying her feelings of shock.

"I punished that drone." Chrysalis said. "She allowed her charge to get away from her." She pointed at the nymph on Twilight's back, who was unaware of anything bad.

"Wasn't that a bit harsh?" Twilight asked, a shudder running down her body. Even she felt that and it wasn't even directed at her.

"I reward good work and I punish bad work." Chrysalis simply said. "Nothing more, nothing less. Her punishment should be more severe actually."

Twilight didn't want to say anything about that. It just seemed way too harsh for her standards.

"Come along now." Chrysalis said.

"And that's how I single-hoofedly wiped out the Griffon threat." Luna said, a touch of remorse in her voice.

The group had taken to telling stories, to pass the time as they travelled towards the border. The forests they were passing through right now were rather dull anyway, so they needed something to pass the time.

"That… that sounded awful." Rainbow Dash said. "Come on, meteors?"

"It was a different time and it was an easy solution." Luna sighed. "Celestia and I were different ponies back then. We were proud and vengeful." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "So very vengeful."

"Ah don't know what to say about this." Applejack frowned. "Sounds like a horrible thing to do."

"It was." Luna said. "But it was in response to a horrible thing they did. An eye for an eye, so to speak."

"If ya keep to that the entire world will end up blind." Applejack retorted.

"I keep forgetting how sheltered you ponies are nowadays." Luna admitted. "The Griffons attacked us first. They had plans to slaughter our little ponies for their meat. Can you blame us for wanting to nip that in the bud?"

"Well, no… but you could have tried to reason with them." Applejack said. "Like we're trying right now!"

"We tried that." Luna admitted. "We invited the Griffon warlord into our city, to talk him out of it. We offered to trade food." She grimaced. "He spat in my face and demanded that we surrender unconditionally. In return, we firebombed their capitol and imprisoned him." She said with a hint of regret in her voice. "We weren't good ponies back then."

"You don't read that in the history books." Rainbow Dash said. "Not that I read history books, obviously. I'm not an egghead." Her eyes shifted nervously from Luna to Applejack to Pinkie Pie, who was trying to make sense of a map.

"Anyhow, it turned out that Feather Fiend the Terrible, much to my genuine surprise, was an awful warlord." Luna continued her story. "He oppressed the Griffons he was supposed to protect, kept the meager supplies they had to himself and attempted to gain more assets by shifting the blame to us. After Celestia and I 'removed' him from office, we aided in the rebuild of Weather Top and we set up a trade route with the Griffons, trading fish and other food items for miscellaneous spices and herbs. Most of the Griffons were happy, the ponies weren't on the menu. All was well."

"Good riddance then." Rainbow Dash said as she leapt off of her cloud and landed next to Pinkie Pie, who was reading a map. "Are we nearly there, Pinkie?"

"I don't know." Pinkie said. "It says here that this map isn't to scale. And there's a whole lot of places I've never even heard about on here!"

"Let me see that." Luna swiped the map from Pinkie and took a closer look at it. Her eyes moved from left to right quickly as she took the image in. "Pinkie Pie? Where did you get this map?"

"From the library!" Pinkie said happily.

"Pinkie, did you steal this from the library?" Luna asked seriously. "The ROYAL Canterlot library?"

"No silly! You can't steal from a library!" She said with a sugary sweet smile. "I just took it when that grumpy pants didn't want my library card."

Luna resisted the urge to facehoof. But it was oh so tempting! "Pinkie Pie, you stole this map. And when you did, the anti-theft system kicked in. It renders the map completely useless." She rolled the map up and stashed it in her saddlebag. "You will apologize to Dusty Tomes the moment we get back to Canterlot, do I make myself clear?"

"Okay, I'll apologize to Grumpy." Pinkie said with a smile on her face. "And then I should throw him a party! An apology party! That might make him less grumpy! Or I should find his long lost love, that worked for Cranky. Maybe he and Grumpy are friends! Wait, why would either of them be grumpy or cranky if they have friends…"

Luna's eye twitched as Pinkie rattled on and on and on and on. There was just no stopping her, Luna realized. All was lost!

Rainbow Dash put a comforting hoof on Luna's shoulder. "Don't worry, she'll stop in a few minutes."

"Ah hope." Applejack said.

"So basically, there's two ways a Changeling can feed. But they both boil down to the same thing." Chrysalis explained as they wandered through the hallways of the hive once more. "One, by masquerading as a pony's loved one and basking in their love. But in that way, only the individual Changeling gets fed enough for a month or so.

"Two, the Changeling that obtained that love can hold onto it and supply it to me, the queen. In turn, I can transfer that love to every Changeling in the vicinity, keeping them fed for a month." She looked at Twilight. "Are you still getting this?"

"Sort of." Twilight frowned. "Where does the excess energy go?" She asked. "You're saying that the same amount of love that feeds one Changeling, can be enough for a few thousand Changelings if it passes through you. By that logic, the single Changeling should be set for life if he feeds once."

Chrysalis nodded. "It doesn't make sense, does it? It took a lot of trial and error for the previous queens to discover this." She stopped and rubbed her chin in thought. "I'm not going to say that I understand it, because I don't. Changelings are rather… chaotic, if that's the right word."

"Perhaps." Twilight mused as she waited for the queen to continue on to their destination. She had seen a lot of hallways thus far but found it very difficult to tell them apart. She wasn't sure if they had been here before or if she was just imagining that.

"Let's continue." Chrysalis said, leading the way once more. Twilight was starting to feel a bit awkward, trailing behind the queen from strange revelation to stranger revelation. The more she learned about her species, the more confused she got.

On her back, her little brother chirped cheerfully, almost like a cricket. He was not aware of his sister's conflicting thoughts. He was more than happy just sitting around, listening to the strange things the two Changelings said to each other, though he did not understand a single word they spoke.

"What you're about to see is just another way of harvesting love." Chrysalis continued their interrupted topic. "It works by taking a pony's love. All of it, whether it's willing or taken by force. The process changes the subjects, turning them into Changelings."

"Is that what you've been doing to my brother?" Twilight asked.

"Exactly." Chrysalis said. "Just over a longer time than usual. Shining Armor's on the brink of becoming a Changeling now. Just one more time should be enough."

"No thank you." Twilight gritted her teeth.

"Spoilsport." Chrysalis said playfully, though to Twilight she sounded more sinister than Discord and Nightmare Moon put together.

"But as I was saying, that's the most effective method for gathering love. Take it all by force or get it all freely. End of story." Chrysalis said.

"Are there other ways of turning ponies into Changelings?" Twilight asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Or back, perhaps?"

"Back? No. At least not that I know off." Chrysalis shrugged. "And there is one other way to change a pony into a Changeling… it's dangerous."

"How dangerous?" Twilight asked.

"The kind of dangerous that kills you." Chrysalis said forcefully. "Long ago, your great grandmother's older sister lost her lover when she was revealed to be a Changeling. She tried everything to get him back, from hexes and charms to venomous love potions. Nothing worked. Grasping at straws, she used her magic to turn her lover into a Changeling but kept his love for her, what remained of it, intact. Unfortunately, she dropped dead on the spot, completely drained. The lover on the other hoof, remained an individual but was still tied into the hivemind. And when the hive figured out that he was responsible for the princess's demise… well, let's just say it wasn't pretty."

They walked on, an uncomfortable silence hanging in the air only disrupted by the nymph's occasional chirps.

"It was so nice of the princess to offer us this chariot." Fluttershy settled herself into the middle seat on the bench so she wouldn't have to look out the window.

"Indeed, very generous of her." Rarity said. "Much more comfortable than the train." The white mare sunk into the velvety cushions of the golden chariot, feeling like a princess.

"Miss Rarity?" Applebloom asked. "Do we really have to go home now? Ah'm still worried about my brother."

"I know you are, my dear." Rarity said. "But you won't have to miss him for long. The doctors told me that he'll be transferred to the Ponyville hospital tomorrow."

"Really?" Applebloom asked.

Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Now rest your eyes for a bit, you've had a rough day." She levitated a blanket out of one of her bags and draped it over Applebloom, who squirmed in protest. "And the same is true for you three." Rarity pulled out more blankets and placed them on Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Spike.

"Aw, but Rarity…" Sweetie Belle whined.

"No buts dear." Rarity said. "It's way past your bedtime."

It took a bit more complaining from the three fillies and one dragon but soon they were all sound asleep. Not long after, the chariot took off, eight white Pegasi pulling it forward. Fluttershy smiled at the sight of the fillies and dragon sleeping, though Spike and Applebloom didn't seem to have a very calm sleep, as they were both muttering in their sleep.

"How have you been holding up, dear?" Rarity asked.

"I'm fine." Fluttershy said. "Just so worried. And scared."

"Scared of what?" Rarity asked.

"The Changelings." Fluttershy admitted sheepishly. "They frighten me. To think that anypony could be one of them, it just…" She stared out the window, watching the bright moon and the stars in an attempt to hide her face from Rarity's eyes.

"Don't bother yourself with such thoughts." Rarity said, trying to reassure her. "It's not good for you to worry like that." The white Unicorn leaned in a bit closer. "But I admit, I too will be keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior."

Fluttershy turned to look at Rarity and nodded. "You're right Rarity." She said eventually. "But I just can't help but feel like this is all just the beginning of something much worse."

"I sincerely hope that you're wrong." Rarity said.

Twilight's mouth fell open in shock. She too had a sizable set of fangs but that mattered little to her at the moment. "Wh-what? What is this?"

"Most Changelings refer to this place as 'the rebirth'. I prefer the term 'pantry' to be honest." Chrysalis said, waving a hoof from left to right.

They had passed from one hallway into another hallway. Lined along the walls were several green cocoons, each with a pony in them. Or at least some of them were still mostly ponies. Some had become Changelings, others only displayed a few traits that the emotion devourers possessed.

"The cocoons make it less taxing on both us and them." Chrysalis explained. "It also allows us to harvest their love easier than if we were to drain them in one go."

As if on cue, a Changeling drone walked up to a pod and prodded at it with his horn. The cocoon pulsed and shook as the pony inside trembled. A green glow formed around the protective case and the drone greedily absorbed it all.

"How can you do this?" Twilight asked, horrified by this display.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." Chrysalis said. "Some of these ponies were volunteers. A few others were nomads without a home. We provided one for them." Of course, she neglected to mention that they had stolen away a few members of a travelling caravan in the dead of night.

"Volunteers?!" Twilight uttered in shock. "Ponies volunteer for this?" The thought of transforming ponies into Changelings was already strange to her. But to think that ponies would actually sacrifice their individuality and life for this? It boggled Twilight's mind.

"Indeed. Some ponies long to be part of something greater than themselves." Chrysalis said as she walked over to one pod in particular. "Of course, there are exceptions. This one for instance: we found her broken in the streets of Las Pegasus. Poor thing was starved for love and attention. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that she already was a Changeling." She ran a hoof over the thick membrane keeping the pony sealed within. "And now she'll never be alone, never be starved and never hurt again."

"Unless she fails, right?" Twilight said forcefully.

"Of course." Chrysalis said without blinking. "The converts especially need a strong and firm, yet caring, hoof to guide and mold them."

Twilight did not like this. She did not like this at all.

"Something bothering you, my dear?" The queen picked up on Twilight's hostile thoughts. The princess was improving, Chrysalis could now only make out the intent of her thoughts, not the content.

"Yes! You say you want to help these ponies, yet you hurt them when they fail!" Twilight was seething by now. "You should help them learn from their mistakes, not punish them!"

"Changelings, both converts and natural born ones, learn best by punishment and reward." Chrysalis said. "Punishment for errors, reward for success."

"Like training a lapdog?" Twilight took a step forward. Anger was clear on her face by now and the nymph on her back was trembling from the amount of emotion the princess was giving off.

"It's because they want to be lapdogs!" Chrysalis yelled. "They revel in being obedient! They long for complete control over every action! Every one of them longs for complete unity and complete servitude! They are jealous of every other Changeling that is in total synchronization with the queen!"

Twilight was taken aback by the queen's outburst.

"They want punishment. It helps them serve their queen better." Chrysalis said, trying her best to calm down again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her heart was still beating way too fast from the excitement.

"I'm sorry." Chrysalis eventually said. "But they are not ponies. None of them are. Not anymore, so don't think that you'll be able to treat them as such when you come to rule."

"Then I won't convert any pony. Ever." Twilight said. She couldn't imagine doing this to anypony.

Chrysalis shook her head. "There will always be ponies like her." She turned back to the cocoon. "Broken ponies, outcasts of society. Ponies who want nothing more than their heartache to end. Your children will find them. Or they will find you." She turned back to Twilight. "Would you turn your back on them, knowing that you might be their last hope for some sort of decent existence?"

Twilight opened her mouth to respond but no words came out. The queen's words struck deep. As with everything so far, they made some sort of sense to the mare.

"I want to go back to my room." Twilight eventually said, when nothing else came to mind. "I need some time to think."

"Of course." Chrysalis said. "Take all the time you need."

Chrysalis called for a Changeling through the hivemind. Mere moments later, a pair of drones came running.

"You, take your princess back to her room." She said to the left Changeling. "And you, take the nymph back to the nursery. I think he's had a big enough adventure today."

The Changelings nodded.

Twilight craned her head around and looked at her little brother, who was curled up on her back. Despite her earlier display of emotion he had managed to fall asleep. "Bye little guy." She said as the drone gingerly lifted the nymph off of her back.

"He'll be taken good care of." Chrysalis assured her.

Twilight nodded. "Good night." She simply said to her mother before allowing her to be led away by the drone.

"Good night." Chrysalis said back as Twilight departed for her chambers.

She waited a few moments before turning around to the pods again. "Today could have gone better." She said to the pod-pony in front of her.

"I think we should set up camp here." Luna said. as they came to a small clearing. "We're close to the border but we should still be safe here from the fumes."

"Can't we go further in?" Applejack asked. The more ground they covered in a single session, the closer they got to Twilight and possibly a cure for Big Macintosh.

"No." Luna said as she levitated a sleeping bag out of her enchanted saddlebag. "We rest here, at the border. We would have to rest within an hour or so anyway, so it would be foolish to head in."

Applejack wanted to complain about that but was quickly shushed by a glare from Luna.

"Come on Applejack, it's like camping!" Pinkie wrapped a hoof around her fellow Earth pony. "We'll build a campfire, we'll roast marshmallows, tell ghost stories and talk about colts!"

Luna continued to resist the urge to facehoof. "Pinkie Pie, I will not partake in such trivial activities. Remember that this is not a happy camping trip. We are on a diplomatic mission into what could be considered enemy territory."

"So… no ghost stories?" Pinkie asked.

"No." Luna stated. "Now, you will rest. We leave at dawn."

"What?" Rainbow Dash complained. "But that's in three hours!"

"All the more reason for you to go to bed right away." Luna said as she crawled into her sleeping bag.

The other ponies followed her example and quickly slipped into their sleeping bags.

"Good night." Rainbow Dash said, a loud and obnoxious yawn following.

"Sleep tight!" Pinkie said cheerfully.

"Don't let the bed bugs bite." Applejack said before zipping up her sleeping bag.

"Bed bugs?" Pinkie asked. "But we're in sleeping bags! Shouldn't we be afraid of sleeping bag bugs? Or maybe they like being called bag bugs. Let's call them that..."

As Pinkie droned on and on, Luna's eye twitched. For the first time in recorded history, she was looking forward to seeing the sun rise.


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chrysalis was laying on her bed, her eyes closed as she concentrated. Her horn glowed and her magic grabbed onto the jewelry box underneath her bed.

The queen rolled over in her bed and waited as the case lazily floated towards her.

With a dull 'thud' the case was dropped onto the soft sheets of her bed.

"I haven't opened this box in years and now I've opened it twice in twenty-four hours," she said to herself as she fumbled with the sloppily applied locking charms. Usually she'd have put more effort into them but she hadn't had the time yet to properly reseal the box.

This time it only took her three minutes to break the enchantments. The satisfying 'click' of the lock was the only thing heard in her room, besides her own steady breathing. There were no other Changelings around at this time, as Chrysalis had, once again, forcibly thrown them out.

She was a bit more careful with the contents this time, as she didn't dump all of it onto her sheets.

"A picture of me and that traitor," Chrysalis listed as she levitated the picture out of the box. She had no frame around at the moment, so she'd just chucked it in like that. A few other items floated out after the picture. "Mother's wedding ring, dad's pocket watch… ah, there you are."

She grasped the three tiny boxes with her magic and drew them from the jewelry box. She quickly placed the other items back and put the box aside.

The three containers were about the size of ring boxes and were all colored differently: grey, brown and purple.

She opened the grey one. Inside the padded box laid a single green shard, with an odd silvery shine to it. It was the last part left of her first daughter's egg.

Princess Crescent Star. Chrysalis had named her so, after the sickle-shaped cut in one of her little wings.

Chrysalis had loved her daughter so much when she was born. Despite her own mother's warnings, she had kept her daughter with her. This turned out to be a mistake. Crescent was insatiable. Chrysalis had given her enough love to feed the whole hive and it still wasn't enough.

Each and every day she was forced to watch as Crescent grew weaker and weaker. They had quickly burned through their reserves and Chrysalis was left to watch all of her children starve. It was too late to plant her daughter with a foster family and her other children were starting to die, the casualities quickly rising in numbers.

In the end, Chrysalis had to make a choice. One that she still regretted to this day.

She closed the box and swapped it with the brown one.

Chrysalis opened it and pulled out a second green shard. This one had an shimmering shine to it, which danced in the light that the crystals provided.

Princess Iridescence, aptly named, was the complete opposite of her departed sister. This time around, Chrysalis was prepared. In the days after her second daughter had hatched, she had searched for the perfect family.

She found it in Ponyville. This family had unknowingly lost their young child to SIDS and Chrysalis had switched the children before anypony noticed.

Chrysalis sighed. She had felt so horrible afterwards, having taken the still child from their parents and replacing it with her own. But it was a necessary evil, she figured. And she had spared the mother, father and brother the grief of finding their child like that.

And at first it seemed like she had found the perfect family. The mother and father were loving and the brother was protective of his little sister. And then there was the fact that the family was as rich as the sea was deep. That helped too.

Imagine her surprise when the family didn't stay together. As the years went one, the pair drifted apart. After a series of conflicts about money, of all things, they got a divorce. Her daughter was juggled between the parents and was neglected by both of them. The lack of love and the abundance of hate caused her to wither away. It broke Chrysalis's heart all over again, having been unable to save her.

She remembered it vividly, that evening. She had found the young colt, hanging on to his sister. He had loved her but it wasn't enough…

Chrysalis had gotten her revenge though. She pulled a few strings, impersonated a few jury members and bribed a few officials. The couple was still in prison to this day and their fortune had found its way into their son's possession. It was the least that Chrysalis could to for the young colt, besides 'adopting' him.

Again she closed the box and reached for the last one.

The purple one clicked open to reveal a similar shard. It was just as green as the ones before it, only this one had a golden shine.

"My sweet Amaryllis," Chrysalis said as she levitated the shard out of the box and spun it around. "My heir."

This time around, she had done better. She had done her research. Ten families were on her list, all over Equestria. But Night Light and Twilight Velvet stood out from the rest. Chrysalis had done some digging in their family history, which taught her that the Twilight mares frequently experienced difficulties with their pregnancy.

And that was just what happened with the real Twilight Sparkle. Chrysalis had pitied the poor creature. She never wanted such things to happen but it was an opportunity which she gladly took.

Leaving her little Amaryllis behind was hard. The wounds left by losing Iridescence and Crescent Star were still there, even after all those years. But this time around she had taken the necessary precautions. Her daughter was under constant supervision by two Praetorians. The silent guardians would look out for and protect her from anypony with bad intentions. They served as her eyes and ears in the family, keeping her informed of any problems that might rear its head.

The shard floated out of its box and onto her hoof. She rubbed it with her other hoof, the texture feeling as smooth as silk. Then she gently placed back and closed the case.

"At least one of my daughters made it to adulthood," Chrysalis said to herself as she picked all three boxes up once more. They floated in a nonsensical pattern in front of her as she thought on them.

"One that I rejected, in favor of the hive." She placed the grey box back. "With much regret." She whispered as a tear started to run down her cheek.

"One that they rejected over something more valuable to them." She spat as the brown box was placed next to its counterpart. More tears followed the path of the first one.

"And one that rejects me and her kind." With the third and last box set in place, she closed the jewelry box once more.

"But…" She rubbed a hoof over her cheeks to wipe away the tears. "She just needs time. And she did promise to come back." Chrysalis allowed a smile to grace her face. "And she will become a proper queen, once she realizes what is best for the hive." The jewelry box floated upwards, a loud click telling her that it was sealed once more.

She applied various hexes and charms on the box, as usual. Satisfied with her sealing skills, she returned the jewelry box to its place under her bed.

"So I'm not a complete failure," Chrysalis said to herself with a smirk as she got off the bed.

"Wake up, you lazy bum!" Twilight nudged her brother a few times. She had generously allowed him to sleep in her bed, mainly because he refused to get off once he settled down on it. At least he was snoozing peacefully right now. Much to Twilight's chagrin though, as she had been attempting to wake her brother up for the last ten minutes or so.

Twilight momentarily stopped badgering her brother and moved a hoof to her mouth as she yawned. She didn't get much sleep. Shining Armor hogging her bed was one of the reasons. It didn't help that the young stallion seemed oddly pleased with himself as he stretched and rolled around, trying to get comfortable in what was supposed to be her bed.

The other reason was that which she had seen during the night.

To Twilight, it was a serious crime. It was wrong, immoral and went against everything she stood for. To snuff out memories, feelings and ideas just like that didn't sit well with her. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

She trotted over to the mirror. During the queen's tour of the hive's many, many hallways (and the occasional room), the mirror had been replaced. Not a single shard of glass was left and the placing looked like it had been done by a professional.

Twilight found it odd, to have such a large mirror embedded into the wall. It seemed so very out of place to her. But that didn't stop her from being drawn to it from time to time.

She looked at her reflection. Twilight was finally coming to terms with the fact that this was her form now. No more purple coat or stubby horn. Those were gone now.

But as much as Twilight admired her new reflection, it also scared her. As if it were some kind of beast, hiding behind the pane of glass. Watching and waiting for the opportune moment to strike and grab her, pulling her from her world and into its own.

"Ha." Twilight let out a dry laugh. "I inherited her good looks after all."

The creature inside the mirror was an odd one, Twilight figured. She found that she still looked the same as when she was a pony, only now someone had changed her color palette and added and replaced a few parts.

She rubbed her muzzle. Unlike the queen she still had her softer, rounder head. Would that change in time? The vision that Twilight had been forced to watch proved that Chrysalis had been the same size as she was right now.

She looked down at her own legs, wondering what it would be like to look Princess Celestia in the eyes for a change, instead of having to look up to her both literally and figuratively.

That thought lead to another and made Twilight feel a bit gloomy. "Will I even be able to look her in the eyes, after all this?" She looked at her hole-riddled hooves. "I know in my heart that the princess would never do such a thing… but that dream…"

She sighed. As far as Twilight knew, Princess Celestia was the least of her worries. She was more concerned about what her parents would think. How could they love her, knowing that she wasn't their real daughter but a replacement?

A knock on the door startled her a bit, breaking her chain of thought.

"The door's open!" Twilight called out, her worries momentarily forgotten.

The door swung open. A drone walked in and bowed before Twilight. "My princess." he said, not daring to look up at her.

Twilight did not like that. This drone could be her brother and yet he was nearly groveling at her feet. "Stand up , please."

The drone did so, raising back to his hooves. "The queen wishes to speak with you, before you go," he said with a hint of sorrow in his voice. He still kept his head down though, much to Twilight's annoyance. "I am to escort you to her chambers."

"Very well." If it were up to Twilight she'd just head home without seeing the queen first. But she knew that was a bad idea. And despite their differences, Twilight did want to get to know her birth mother. Just not until after she had sorted things out with her family and friends.

"Take me to her," she said to the Changeling.

The Changeling nodded. "Of course, my princess." He turned around walked back out through the open door. Once through, he moved beside the door, holding it open and waiting for Twilight to pass through.

"Thank you," Twilight said as the Changeling closed the door behind her. She didn't like leaving Shining Armor alone but she figured that the sooner she met with the queen, the sooner they'd be on their way back home to Canterlot.

"Follow me," the drone said.

Twilight did so, traversing the winding passages of the hive once more. She still had no idea as to what was where. It seemed like the Changeling home was made of nothing more than hallways connecting to hallways.

Eventually they came to a door that was familiar to Twilight.

The door opened before she could knock. "My dear daughter," Chrysalis said as she saw Twilight standing in front of her door.

"You wanted to see me?" Twilight asked.

"I did," Chrysalis said. "Come, walk with me." She walked away, ignoring the drone that had brought Twilight to her.

Twilight wanted to groan but kept her frustration to herself.

The queen either didn't notice her annoyance or simply didn't comment on it. Without a word she escorted Twilight through the hallways, again.

Princess Twilight was starting to get sick of seeing the same dreary walls over and over again. Right now, she'd give her left front hoof for a decent point of reference and her right back hoof for a map. Where was a cartographer when you needed one?

Blueblood desperately tried to refrain from sneezing. Such things are for commoners, not princes, he told himself. Unfortunately for him, his nose thought otherwise.

"When's the last time you cleaned up in here?" Blueblood demanded as he grabbed a handkerchief and blew his nose. "These scrolls are covered in dust!" he scolded the librarian. "Take some pride in your work and clean up!"

The librarian, a grey Unicorn, shrugged. "Just living up to my name, your highness."

"I've been thinking," Twilight said, breaking the silence that clung to the air. Nothing else could be heard, besides their hooves striking the ground.

"Yes, and?" The queen asked curiously, though she obviously knew what Twilight wanted to talk about.

"I think it's wrong," Twilight said. "To punish your subjects, I mean. You shouldn't have to resort to violence to prove a point."

"I thought that I already explained that: Changelings learn best through punishment and reward," Chrysalis reminded her. "And I prefer to reward. What you saw last night was a rare occurrence. That drone lost her charge, mere seconds after I had ordered her to take good care of that nymph. We're lucky that he wandered back to us. He could just as well have escaped the nursery and fall down one of the many chasms in this place."

Twilight failed to come up with a good response to that. "Still, I think it was too harsh." That was all she managed to say on the matter before Chrysalis shrugged her comment off and continued walking.

The awkward silence returned quickly as neither of them spoke to the other, despite knowing there was an unresolved issue between them.

Eventually Chrysalis opened her mouth. "Are you still sore about what you saw last night?" she asked. Of course, she knew that Twilight was still bothered by it. Her daughter was broadcasting her thoughts again. Chrysalis was a tad disappointed: Twilight had been more discreet with her emotions last night but now Chrysalis could pick up on them just like before.

"The corporal punishment or the pod-ponies?" Twilight asked, though she obviously knew which one the queen was alluding to.

"The converts," Chrysalis clarified. "I assume you're upset about them?"

Twilight nodded. "Very upset. To me, it seems like you're killing ponies by doing that to them. If I understand this properly, by converting them you strip away their personality, their emotions, their pain and their dreams. Am I correct?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Indeed you are, my dear. It's not pretty, I know. But it needs to be done. If not for our sake, then for theirs. They get a home and we get food, it's a win-win situation."

"Or so you say…" Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. "But I just can't support what you do. It feels like murder."

Chrysalis ground to a halt and turned to her daughter. "Then call me that to my face." The queen said calmly as she leaned closer to Twilight. "Call me a murderer."

"But isn't it? Murder, I mean." Twilight countered. She refused to be intimidated by the queen and leaned in as well. "Don't you destroy that pony's personality? Their dreams? What is a pony without their dreams?"

"A Changeling apparently," Chrysalis answered. "And who says that they don't have dreams? They all long to be one with the queen, after all."

"And then what?" Twilight asked. "What happens afterwards?"

"That, my dear daughter, is a very good question," Chrysalis admitted. "One that I do not have the answer to."

Chrysalis had always thought of that as the next generation's problem. She'd be gone and forgotten long before the hive reached that state of mind. Or so she hoped.

Twilight sighed. "Look, all I want to know is if there's anything to a Changeling's life. From what I've seen so far, it's eat, sleep, serve the queen and princess and that's about it. I haven't seen anything here that suggests that they do anything else, besides the library perhaps." Twilight gritted her teeth. "But I doubt I'll find many Changelings checking out books there."

"While that may be true, it does not matter," Chrysalis said. "The Changelings are happy. They are fed, they are safe. Those are the only things that do matter to them."

"That's it?" Twilight asked incredulously. "Nothing more than that? Eat, sleep and that's it? What's the purpose of such a life?"

"There's a purpose to life?" Chrysalis asked, faking incredulousness. "Those are the basics of any life, whether it's pony, Changeling or any other animal. It always comes down to that."

"What's wrong with wanting more than that?" Twilight asked. "What's wrong with wanting to do more in life than just live to see another day?"

"Because it's not what we want, it's what they want," Chrysalis said. "This is what the Changelings want. They want simple lives, they like being controlled, they want to be free from such things." Though Chrysalis had to admit that her children had some odd quirks that didn't fit in with that image.

"It just feels so pointless," Twilight stated her case again. "You're a writer, surely you'd want them to be able to read and enjoy books, right?"

"Again, it's not about what you want," Chrysalis said playfully. Her daughter just didn't seem to get it. "They can read but they only read instructions. They don't like using their imagination, for anything other than to serve the hive, and they just don't like books." She shrugged. "I got over that a long time ago. It's easier to accept that they don't want anything to do with those kinds of things. Just go with the flow."

"And drown in the current? No thank you." Twilight stomped her hoof in frustration.

"And what would you do?" Chrysalis asked. "Force them to read? Maybe you'll be able to tape a paintbrush to one of their hooves and make them draw. Face it Ama- I mean, Twilight. Face it, they don't want to be creative. Ask any Changeling, they'll all say the same."

Chrysalis frowned. This conversation was turning very familiar, very fast. Only now the roles were reversed.

"I know it's hard at first. Learning of your true heritage, discovering all of this." Chrysalis moved a hoof around, indicating the entirety of the hive. "And discovering that you will become the ruler of a species so unlike ponies. You were raised as one but you will have to break away from your little pony ideals and little pony dreams."

Twilight stayed quiet, which Chrysalis took as an invitation to continue. "Right now you're probably thinking that when you return to Canterlot, that you'll be able to pick your life up from where you left off." She began to pace around her daughter in a slow circle.

"That nopony will be bothered by your heritage. That your friends will be understanding and will embrace you anyway," Chrysalis continued, having just circled around her daughter. She stopped right in front of her and looked her in the eyes.

"But you will find that the ones you love will leave you, that your friends will forsake you and that the one you once trusted with your life will rip out your heart and incinerate it, leaving nothing but a twisted and blackened mess." Chrysalis knew that she was overreacting but she wanted to make her point clear. She hoped that, unlike herself so long ago, Twilight would accept her mother's words as truth and that she would not return to Canterlot at all.

But she knew better than that and Twilight was quick to confirm her suspicion.

"Even if that turns out to be the truth," Twilight started, having found her voice again. "Even if my friends might forsake me, I have to know for sure. If I don't go, then I'll never know."

She walked over to the queen with a soft, compassionate smile on her face. "I saw your memories, remember? I saw the pain that… Celestia caused you. I don't want to believe that that was true but I need to find out for myself."

Chrysalis nodded. "I did not mean to upset you my dear," she said with an apologetic undertone. "But it's best that you know what could happen when you go back there." Chrysalis sighed before admitting something to both herself and her daughter. "And now I'm starting to sound like my mother. She gave me the same speech so many years ago."

"Is that a bad thing?" Twilight asked, curious about her other grandmother. She had only known her grandma Twilight Twinkle for a few years, before the mare left to join grandpa in the Elysian fields. And she had never even seen her grandparents on her father's side. "What was she like?

"Didn't I tell you that she sealed me into a cocoon when I wanted to go back to Canterlot?" Chrysalis asked.

"You did," Twilight said. Part of her wanted to laugh at the mental image of a filly Chrysalis inside one of those cocoons. But the rest of her knew the reality of what went on inside those contraptions.

And despite Twilight's hardy appearance, the words of the queen had struck her deeply. She knew that the queen would ask her to stay once more. But now, having heard the queen's thoughts on the matter, Twilight was even more determined to return home.

Because Twilight had to prove the queen wrong.

"I sent some drones ahead to pick up your brother," Chrysalis said as they came to a large door. It was made of a crude looking metal and looked very heavy indeed. Twilight figured that it must have been taken from somewhere else and repurposed, as the hinges looked beat and the door didn't entirely fit the doorway it was in.

Twilight could see light shining in through those cracks. Sweet, warm daylight just waiting out there for her. The ever-present blue shine of the gems just didn't do it for her.

"Shining Armor?" Twilight called out. The white stallion was standing at the gate, flanked by two drones.

The stallion didn't respond but he did react to Twilight's voice. He turned to face her with a tired smile on his face.

"You might want to take him to a hospital," Chrysalis said, trying to sound concerned. "Once you get back in Canterlot. Tell them to stuff some chocolate down his throat. It'll help."

Twilight's ears perked up. "Chocolate?" she asked, her tone suddenly very enthusiastically.

Chrysalis brought her hoof to her face and let out a sigh. "Yes, chocolate. The stuff every Changeling goes gaga over. There's something in there that's nutritious to both Changelings and ponies in his position."

Twilight didn't seem to be paying attention though, as her mind wandered back to the incident with MMMM cake and that delicious looking Chocolate Mousse Moose. There was a reason that nopony had left Twilight alone in that cabin at any time.

Chrysalis stomped her hoof, snapping Twilight out of her fantasy. "I assume you still want to go back to Canterlot?"

Twilight nodded.

"I thought so. Very well, follow me. We're stepping out into the Wastelands."

The door opened without a word. Two Behemoths were struggling to pull it open. Twilight could hear them groan from the other side.

Inch by inch, the gate swung open. Twilight had to shield her eyes from the sun at first. Her eyes had adapted to the little light inside the hive and being exposed to the sun like that hurt a little.

It didn't take long for Twilight's eyes to adjust though. But actually, Twilight had wished that they hadn't. Up close, the Wastelands were even worse. Up at the top of the hive, she could at least still see Canterlot a bit. Down here, everything reeked. The sulfur scent, that was devoid in the hive, was everywhere outside. Twilight felt a little nauseous from the pungent stench.

And even down here, Twilight could see nothing alive in their land. No trees, other than a few dead and twisted monstrosities here and there. No grass sticking out through the layer of ash, no shrubberies, no nothing.

"Depressing, isn't it?" Chrysalis asked. "Though it grows on you after a while."

"I don't think anything will be growing here any time soon." Twilight kicked a loose rock and send it plummeting into a pile of ash. The powder was thrown around by the impact, before settling down again.

"Well, it does make for a near-perfect defense," Chrysalis said, pointing out the obvious. "Nopony can get in here without a breathing charm."

Twilight looked around. "Why did we come out here?" she asked.

"We're sending you home," Chrysalis reminded her. "And the easiest way is through here." She pointed at a seemingly inconspicuous boulder. "Move it," Chrysalis ordered.

One of the Behemoths that had opened the gate rushed over to the boulder and slammed into it. The grey stone rolled a good distance away, revealing a perfectly round hole underneath.

"Can you fly down there on your own?" Chrysalis asked as she took to the air herself. "Just try and spread your wings. You just need to glide down."

"I can try," Twilight said, though she didn't sound as confident as she wanted to.

Chrysalis nodded and dove into the hole in the ground. Twilight walked up to the hole and looked down. It wasn't terribly deep but Twilight had absolutely no experience with flying. Nervously, she attempted to open her wings. Much to her surprise, her wings did as she wanted them to.

"Here I go…" Twilight closed her eyes and jumped. And of course Twilight only realized this after she jumped.

"Aah!" Twilight screamed as she floated down into the tunnel.

She was going to crash! She was going to crash! She- landed softly next to Chrysalis, who was rolling her eyes. "Drama queen," the real queen said. "If floating down twenty feet makes you scream like a little nymph, I can't wait to see how you'll take to real flying."

Twilight glared at her. "I didn't even have wings until recently, you know. Can you blame me for being a bit apprehensive?"

"No, I suppose not," Chrysalis admitted. Without a word she continued down the tunnel. Twilight waited a few minutes for the drones to lower Shining Armor down as well before following the queen.

Chrysalis was waiting for her a bit further down. "You'll love this," Chrysalis said.

Just up ahead was a large room. Glowing crystals littered the walls and in the center of it stood a chariot. "Fit for a princess," Chrysalis said with a dramatic wave of her hoof.

The chariot looked rather frail, much like the Changelings themselves. It was black and didn't seem very royal at all. "Okay, I'm sorry. I lied. But it gets the job done," Chrysalis said. She pointed at the tunnel on the opposite side of the one they came in through. "We rarely, if ever, use this passage. It's not suited for larger groups, since it ends up near Canterlot." Chrysalis had preferred to use this passage to transport her daughter home at first but it would have drawn way too much attention.

Eight Changeling drones popped up and ran to the front of the carriage. They worked their ways into the harnesses and soon they were ready to pull the wagon.

"Help our dear guest in," Chrysalis ordered the two drones that were escorting Shining Armor. They nodded and guided the white stallion towards the carriage. One of them opened the door while the other one tried to push Shining Armor in. Said stallion responded by sitting down and refusing to budge.

Chrysalis watched the scene with some amusement before turning to her daughter. "Before you go, I have some… things to give you," she said with a smile on her face, sans fangs this time. "To make up for not being there all those birthdays and Hearth's Warming Eves."

A pair of Behemoths walked towards the royal pair, both bearing a large chest on their back. They gently lowered the valuable containers and placed them in front of Twilight.

"Open it," Chrysalis egged her on.

Twilight looked at the two chests. Both were made of wood and iron and looked rather old. She randomly picked the left one and tried to open it with her magic. Unbeknownst to her, her horn glowed more green than purple as she fiddled with the lock. The two colors shifted and changed, bled into each other before separating once more. They seemed to be ever-changing but the green was slowly but surely taking over. Chrysalis noticed this but failed to comment on it, wishing for Twilight to discover that little change on her own.

The lock popped open with a rather dramatic 'click' and Twilight wasted no time in lifting the lid.

Twilight figured that the queen knew what her daughter liked, so she wasn't surprised to see the chest stuffed with books.

"A few diaries from your ancestors and some Changeling spell books," Chrysalis explained the contents of the chest. "I'm sure you'll find something to your liking in there."

"Thank you," Twilight said with a smile on your face. "What's in the other?"

"The scroll, Queen Flutterheart's journal and some other books. And I slipped some chocolate in as well." Chrysalis reacted instantly and batted Twilight's magic away from the second lock. "Save it for later. You have a big day ahead of you and if my experience is anything to go by, you'll need a lot of comfort food afterwards," she advised her daughter.

Twilight scowled for a few seconds, before her expression softened. "Thank you," she said. "I… I know we have our differences and that I barely know you… hay, I don't even know your name…" Twilight said nervously. "You never told me."

"It's Chrysalis but you, my dear daughter, can call me 'mom'," Chrysalis said with a hopeful tone to her voice.

"I-I can't do that," Twilight looked down. "I'm sorry but you're- you're not my mom. Twilight Velvet is."

Chrysalis looked rather hurt by that statement. Just for a split second though as she knew that was to be expected.

"But…" Twilight continued. "Just give me some time. I do want to get to know you better, you and my new fami- where did they just come from?!" She finished with an incredulous question.

Somehow the room had filled up with Changelings while she and Chrysalis were chatting. Behemoths of various sizes, various soldiers and a ton of drones. There were even some Praetorians without their camouflage on. Some of the drones had nymphs with them too, riding on their back. Twilight did a quick sweep of the room but unfortunately failed to find the little guy from the night before.

"They just wanted to come say goodbye," Chrysalis said with a genuine smile. "They'll probably be down about for a while. But they've waited for eighteen years to see you, a few weeks more won't hurt them."

"Right… weeks." Twilight wasn't sure if she'd be back so soon though. "Anyway, like I was saying: I do want to get to know you all properly. But first I need to sort this thing out, okay?"

Chrysalis nodded. "Of course, my dear daughter," she said. "May you have more luck with that than I did." The queen obviously had her doubts about that and was wondering how long it would take for her daughter to come running back to her and the hive.

Twilight was unaware of her mother's true thoughts on the matter. She just nodded and walked up to the carriage. Somehow the two drones had managed to wrestle Shining Armor into his seat, where he now sat contently looking out the window. "We're going home, B.B.B.F.F.," Twilight said with a smile.

She waited patiently as the two Behemoths lifted the two presents from Chrysalis onto the roof of the carriage. One of the chests chirped angrily at being tossed around like that, thought that complaint fell on deaf ears.

The two drones that had been escorting Shining Armor leapt onto the roof and secured the chests, making sure that they could not move around or fall off.

Twilight noticed that they were done and opened the door to the carriage. Before she could get on, Chrysalis stopped her. "I forgot one last thing," she said as she lowered her horn to Twilight's.

A green glow surrounded Twilight, which quickly erupted in a flash of blinding light.

Twilight looked at her hooves. They were purple! And they didn't have any freaky holes in them!

"Your disguise," Chrysalis clarified. "We never did get to practice more."

"Thank you," Twilight said.

"Be warned though: it won't last for long," Chrysalis warned her. "Two days, maybe three if you're lucky. After that, you're on your own. Don't get startled either. That will undo the disguise."

"I'll be careful," Twilight assured her. "Goodbye, Chrysalis. I'll see you soon, I think."

"I hope so, my dear," Chrysalis said sincerely. "Read those books I gave you. There's a lot of spells that only Changelings can perform, as they're fuelled by love instead of magic. So try to feed at times, to keep your energy up. Trust your instincts, there's not much to it. Be careful and know that your mother and your family loves you very much." Chrysalis found herself to be rattling, much like a mother sending their foals out on their own for the first time.

Chrysalis just wished that her daughter would stay just a bit longer. She still had so much to teach her. And even though they had spent a lot of their time together arguing, Chrysalis was glad to have a sensible pony to talk to.

Twilight nodded. "I know." She wanted to say the same to her and the rest of her family but love just didn't form overnight as far as she knew.

With that last bit of advice given, the once again purple mare jumped into the carriage and settled down next to her brother. "We're going home, B.B.B.F.F." she said with some enthusiasm, though she remained torn on the inside.

Chrysalis nodded and gave the Changelings pulling the cart the signal to run.

And run they did.

Chrysalis, along with the rest of the hive that managed to fit in the cave watched as their princess left them once more.

A Praetorian landed next to Chrysalis. "Are we really letting her go alone, my queen?" he asked her in a raspy voice.

Chrysalis glared at him, causing the guard to cower before her. "Of course not!" she yelled. "You best start running, you just missed your ride."

It took the Praetorian a few seconds to get what she meant. His eyes widened and he ran off without a word.

"You, go with him." Chrysalis pointed at another Praetorian. The silent guardian saluted her and ran after his comrade.

Chrysalis looked around her. All the Changelings there were staring at the tunnel, hoping that their princess would turn around and come back.

"All of you, return to your posts!" Chrysalis called out, tearing them from their daydream and sending the Changeling mass scrambling to get out of the cavern and back to the hive.

Chrysalis waited patiently for the Changelings to evacuate before turning to a drone standing next to her. "I have prepared instructions for the Harvesters in Ponyville," she said. "You will go to my chambers and take the scrolls on my desk to them immediately. And don't get caught this time," she warned the drone.

The Changeling gulped and nodded furiously before scampering off.

Chrysalis groaned as she made her way back to the hive as well. That drone infuriated her at times. She was the reason that Canterlot had been under lock-down, having been caught by a group of guards. They had actually just stopped her, in the hopes that she'd buy a card for the royal guard's charity ball but they quickly turned suspicious of her. Some of her drones just weren't terribly good at acting naturally. Luckily she had gotten away, though not without losing her cargo.

The only reason Chrysalis didn't keep her grounded was that she was the fastest convert she had ever had under her command.

Still, that didn't take away the fact that she had made things overly difficult for Chrysalis in Canterlot. Luckily those nimrods that called themselves scientists had been unable to crack their language. Who knew that the Changeling's ability to pick up on pheromones on a piece of paper would be the key to their code?

The drone remained on Chrysalis's mind even as she flew out of the tunnel and into the Wastelands. She had been slightly dishonest with Twilight. Changelings did enjoy being creative. But like she had told her daughter: they only like it when they were disguised and when it was to serve the hive. They had to be, how else would they mimic a pony? After all, a pony that looked like a pony but didn't act like one would be deemed suspicious.

And of course, there were the hats. Chrysalis never did understand why they were so fascinated by something as meaningless as headgear. But that was the least of her worries.

Right now she was more worried about the Harvesters that she sporadically send out into Equestria. She'd completely sever a drone or a soldier's connection to the hive and send them to infiltrate small villages or towns. Being separated would cause them to become independent for a while, an individual. Chrysalis knew how much they disliked that but it helped them fit in with the ponies so much better.

And the amount of love they'd bring back was always a nice supplement to the love she'd get from the cocoons. Before she began utilizing Harvesters, she had taken to 'saving' more than a few dozen ponies per year.

Chrysalis always found it to be strange that nopony made a big deal out of the kidnappings. There had been years that her Changelings kidnapped well over a hundred ponies. Mostly travelling nomads or runaways but it still struck her as odd.

Though it was obvious that they didn't need that much love. But as a young queen, Chrysalis had been terrified of running out of food for her children. And love didn't spoil. But she couldn't keep those ponies turned Changeling locked in their cocoons for very long either, so much of the gathered love was lost because of that.

But thanks to the Harvesters they didn't need as many ponies as before, which in turn lowered their chances of getting caught even more.

Besides, the Harvester's discomfort would only last for about two months before Chrysalis would call them back and reintegrated them into the hivemind. She had learned the hard way that she shouldn't keep them away for too long. Her children would grow uncomfortable by being separated but in time that feeling would evolve into utter and total despair.

Her children would feel abandoned and their bodies would simply shut down, not knowing what to do anymore. Chrysalis had learned this the hard way, having arrived just too late to save that one Soldier's life…

Chrysalis looked up at the sky. Her delivery drone was flying overhead at high speed, now disguised as a brown Pegasus with a black mane.

She made herself no illusions, the stunt she pulled off in Canterlot was sure to have some consequences for her kind. Her Harvesters would need to be careful as not to draw attention to themselves.

But ponies were quick to forget. They'd just need to lay lower than usual and in a few decades ponykind would have forgotten that they even existed.

Unless, of course, something else went phenomenally wrong. But Chrysalis was confident that such a thing wouldn't happen.

…

Maybe she'd send a few more Praetorians with her daughter, just to be safe.

Twilight looked out the window of the speeding carriage. Not that there was much to see outside. Other than the occasional glowing gem there wasn't much interesting to behold. Twilight did, however, notice that the tunnel they were in was obviously hoofmade. No natural underground passageway would be so straight.

"I'm so confused, Shiny," she said to the passive stallion next to her. "What do you think I should do?"

Shining Armor looked at her and tilted his head, not quite understanding what she meant.

"I hope the doctors can fix you up," Twilight said to herself. "because this is just-"

Twilight was interrupted by a sudden thud on the roof. Another one soon followed.

A Praetorian looked down the side of the carriage and in through the window. Twilight stared at him, until he suddenly blinked out of existence.

"Looks like we have guests," Twilight Sparkle said, more to herself than to Shining Armor who had decided that now was the perfect time for a nap.

Twilight looked out the window again, wondering if that Praetorian was still hanging there or if he was sitting on the roof now.

The rest of the ride was rather uneventful. There wasn't much to see either, just darkness and the occasional glowing gemstone to light the way that the Changelings followed.

Twilight was amazed at the stamina that the Changelings had. The journey had so far taken an hour and half, yet they showed no signs of fatigue.

Eventually they came to the end of a rather uneventful journey. Twilight preferred the train ride to Canterlot, at least then she had been able to look out the window. She had forgotten to grab a book out of the chests her mother had given her before leaving, thus leaving her bored to tears.

The Changelings came to a stop inside another room. It wasn't as big as the one on the other side of the tunnel. Twilight figured that the carriage would have trouble turning here, it was that cramped. Somehow they managed it though.

One of the Praetorians on the roof leapt off and opened the door for her. "Thank you," Twilight said as she got out. "Come on, Shiny." She helped her big brother out.

"This way," the Praetorian said, beckoning for Twilight to follow him. The other Changelings stayed behind as they worked to release themselves from the harnesses.

Twilight followed her guard, who led her and Shining Armor to the surface once more.

She blinked a few time to get used to the bright light again. And then she saw it.

"Canterlot!" she called out, before clasping her hoof over her mouth. That had come out in Rarity's voice. "Oh no, you've got to be kidding me," she said, still in the fashionista's voice. She cleared her throat a few times and said some nonsensical words. Eventually her voice turned back to normal.

"I'm going to have to work on that," she said to herself. "Could be fun at parties though."

Twilight quickly returned to the situation at hoof. "Excuse me," she said to her guard. "Could you do me a favor?"

The Praetorian's look was one of confusion. The queen had never asked for a 'favor' before. She just gave orders, which he was more than happy to carry out. But he nodded anyway, not wishing to disappoint his princess.

"Great," Twilight said. "Could you take my brother to the Canterlot hospital? Do you know where that is?"

The Changeling nodded. "Of course, my princess." He bowed before her. "I will do as you ask."

"Thank you." Twilight still felt uncomfortable about the submissive gesture. Celestia didn't like it either but she had learned to live with it. Twilight figured that she could do the same.

Twilight hated leaving her brother in the hooves of a Changeling but right now, she had bigger fish to fry. Figuratively speaking, of course. Twilight would hate to get scolded by Fluttershy for being so unkind to her fishy friends.

"All that's left to do is-" Twilight stopped midsentence and facehoofed. Now she sounded like Fluttershy! "This is going to take some getting used to." She sighed.

She eventually managed to get her own voice back. Shining Armor was now on his way to Canterlot as well, with the Praetorian disguised as a stallion that Twilight had never seen before. His coat was brown, as was his mane though that was a darker shade. His cutie mark was in the shape of an hourglass.

Twilight had given the Praetorian a short backstory to tell at the hospital, that he had found Shining Armor wandering around in the forest. It wasn't much but he was to disappear as soon as he had dropped her brother off.

That left her with eight Changeling drones that were waiting for orders. "Just rest here until I come back," she said to them.

The eight of them nodded in unison, before returning to the cave.

With all of that said and done, Twilight made her way to Canterlot. It wasn't far from the cave they had ended up in which caused Twilight to wonder why nopony had ever noticed it. Or maybe-

Twilight stopped in her tracks as a big, brown grizzly bear stood before her. The bear looked at her curiously. She then looked left, right and behind her.

The bear burst into emerald flames, revealing that it was actually a Changeling. The Behemoth that stood there bowed before her princess. "I am sorry for startling you like that, my princess. Please forgive me," the Changeling said with a low, yet feminine voice.

Twilight stammered, "That's okay, no harm done." Her disguise was still intact and that was all that mattered right now.

The Behemoth nodded and turned back into a bear and wandered into the cave, probably to do bear-related things, or at least pretend to do so.

Twilight was still a bit shocked though. She didn't know that Changelings could turn into other creatures as well. Perhaps only the big ones could, she thought.

But she could worry about that later, because right now she had to head over to Canterlot, talk to the princess and try not to get banished in the process.

Twilight figured that it was around noon when she arrived in Canterlot. Studying under the sun's mistress had taught her to read its movements. A nearby bell tower confirmed her thoughts. As she walked into Canterlot she did her best to seem inconspicuous. "Don't mind me," she whispered to herself. "Just a regular old Unicorn trying to make her way to the castle."

She did notice a lot more guards in the streets, compared to the last time she visited. She didn't know why just yet but she figured that it probably had something to do with the Changelings. The Changeling queen had been rather vague about what happened during the wedding and Twilight had other things to worry about at the time, so she didn't press for answers, something very uncharacteristic of her.

Soon enough, Twilight arrived at the castle. It came to her as no surprise to find the castle entrance heavily guarded as well.

"Uh, hi?" Twilight said to the pair of guards in front of the closed gate. "I don't suppose that you'll let me in? I need to speak with the princess. It's very important."

"The princess will not see anypony today without an appointment," the grey guard said. "Do you have one?"

"No," Twilight said. "But I really, really need to see her, it's important."

"As important as it may be, you are not permitted to enter the castle." He squinted his eyes. "You look familiar though."

"Yes! I mean, yes. I am Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's personal student," Twilight said, hoping that that would be enough to sway the guard.

"The princess said that you were kidnapped," the other guard, a white Pegasus, said. "How can we be sure that you're not a Changeling spy?" They both raised their spears, just in case.

"Kidnapped?" Twilight laughed nervously as she saw those weapons pointed at her. "Right. But I'm not a spy. If I was, would I be so stupid to just walk up to you?"

"She has a good point," the Unicorn said. "Maybe she managed to escape."

"I don't know, you can't trust anypony nowadays," the Pegasus said. "I'm sorry but until you can prove your claims, I'm afraid I can't let you in."

"Fine," Twilight said. A mild panic began to take its hold on her. She absolutely needed to see the princess first. She was more worried about her parents' reaction that the princess' but she needed to know if Celestia had her back.

And if that wasn't the case and she were to face banishment, she'd prefer to have that out of the way first.

But she knew that she wouldn't be able to convince the guards. It was rather difficult to prove her identity, especially since she barely knew these guards.

Twilight turned to walk away, a new plan already forming in her head. Unfortunately, that new plan escaped her when she accidentally ran into a blue Unicorn with a distinctive green mane. Papers were scattered everywhere as the two Unicorns tumbled to the ground.

Sheer panic coursed through her as Twilight looked herself over. Her hooves were still whole, her coat was still purple. She didn't know how solid her disguise was but she'd hate to prove the guards right in their claims.

"I'm so sorry… Twilight? Is that you?" the Unicorn asked. "I haven't seen you in ages, how have you been?"

"Brass Bit?" Twilight recognized the elderly stallion. "Oh right. Sorry about bumping into you."

"Not your fault my dear, I should have looked where I was going." Brass Bit bend down to pick up his papers, which had scattered all around the pair.

"Here, let me help you with that." Twilight gathered the papers up and straightened them out with her magic. Luckily for her, nopony noticed the green that had overtaken her normally purple glow. If they had, Twilight would have found herself in the dungeons, along with the rest of the captured Changelings.

"Thank you, my dear," Brass Bit said. "I've just been so bothered by these papers. I just can't get them out of my head."

"What's wrong with them?" Twilight asked, taking a quick glance at them before handing them back. Matters concerning money had never been her forte.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Brass Bit waved her off. "Just some numbers that don't add up. Now, what seems to be the problem here?"

"Problem? What makes you think there's a problem?" Twilight asked nervously.

"The fact that you're out here and not talking with the princess," Brass Bit said. "Are they keeping you out?" He pointed at the guards.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, they think that I'm a Changeling." That was the truth, of course. But Twilight didn't want to share that little secret just yet.

"Well, we can't have that," Brass Bit scoffed. "Ahem, gentlemen? I can prove that this Unicorn is the real Twilight Sparkle."

"How?" the Pegasus guard asked.

"Ahem, I'm sorry for bringing this back up, Twilight, but do you remember that incident? The one with the cookie jar?" he asked with a playful twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, that…" Twilight lowered her head in shame. "That was so embarrassing."

"Indeed it was. Could you tell the guards here what exactly happened that day?" Brass Bit didn't take pleasure in this but regardless of that, he found the story to be rather hilarious.

Of course, he didn't bring up that story for some laughs. He had been the one to find little Twilight, stuck in the cookie jar with no way to get out. Only he, Twilight herself, Princess Celestia and a hooffull of guards knew what really happened that day.

"I… I tried to take one of Princess Celestia's special cookies, you know: those with the really good chocolate chips…

Twilight had a problem: she didn't have cookies. Princess Celestia had cookies but she didn't want to share them with Twilight after the little filly had managed to eat a month's supply of said cookies in an hour. Twilight had been sick for a week but to her, it had been totally worth it.

But Princess Celestia had cookies. More specifically, she had cookies inside a jar and said jar was being kept at the top of the cupboard, far out of any filly's reach. What was worse was the fact that the princess had enchanted the cookie jar in a way so that no telekinetic magic could be used on it, save her own.

But even at a young age, Twilight was a thinker! She saw a problem, all she needed was a solution.

That solution consisted of as many books as she could carry, a few boxes, a stepladder and Miss Smartypants.

Somehow, using the imagination that only a filly her age possessed, Twilight had constructed a rickety staircase, consisting of everything she had carried into the kitchen, except for Miss Smartypants of course. She had appointed the stuffed toy to construction supervisor, complete with protective hat and reflective vest.

Unfortunately, Miss Smartypants lied on her resume and was clearly not suited for the job. Else she would have recognized the danger of this situation and would never have allowed Twilight to ascend the makeshift staircase. The fact that Smartypants was a stuffed toy may have had something to with it too.

Regardless, Twilight had somehow managed to make her way up to the cookie jar. That beautiful blue and white striped jar! But Twilight wasn't interested in the jar, no matter how pretty it was. No, the contents in the jar were much more desirable.

She lifted the lid off with her mouth and laid it aside. The scent of sugary sweet chocolate chip cookies assaulted her nose.

Tentatively she reached into the jar and pulled out a single cookie, which she promptly devoured. Not just ate, DEVOURED. Twilight loved these cookies so much.

One by one, the biscuits found their way into her stomach. Until only one remained.

"I'm going to get you," Twilight said to the sole cookie that laid on the bottom of the jar. "It's just a matter of time!" Her magic was still useless, so she had to get the treat on her own. But she couldn't reach it with her hoof.

And then Twilight had an idea. In retrospect, it wasn't the brightest idea but it was better than nothing.

She pulled herself up on the edge of the jar and stuck her head in. "Almost… got…cookie…" Twilight mumbled as she reached with her mouth towards the cookie. She still couldn't reach far enough!

Her hindlegs broke free from the ground as Twilight leaned in further and further, until…

"I'm stuck," Twilight said calmly. She wiggled her hindlegs helplessly as she was now stuck up to her stomach in the jar. "Now what?" It was rather dark inside the jar but Twilight quickly lit up her horn. At least that kind of magic was still working despite Princess Celestia's spellwork.

Twilight could see the cookie again, now that the light from her horn illuminated the darkness. It was so close, yet so far. It was teasing her, staying just out of her reach.

So she tried shaking herself loose, in an attempt to sink just a bit deeper into the jar so she could get her prize.

But the rocking motion that Twilight made caused the jar to tilt over.

"Uh-oh," Twilight let out before the jar started to roll towards the edge.

"And then I rolled down those steps, out the kitchen and into the hallway, before Brass Bit and Princess Celestia managed to stop me." Twilight wished that she could sink into the ground right now.

The two guards said nothing but Twilight noticed that the ends of their lips were curled upwards.

"The poor thing was wailing like a banshee," Brass laughed. "Of course, Celestia quickly released her from that jar. And besides, that cookie was the best of the bunch, right?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, the janitor broke that jar with a hammer to release me. My ears were ringing for days," she said. "And the princess ate that cookie right in front of me while she was coming up with my punishment." She frowned.

"That's what I wanted to hear," Brass Bit patted her on the back. "Gentlemen," he turned to the two guards. "this is truly Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's protégé. I personally vouch for her."

"Very well then," the Unicorn guard said. He was no longer trying to hide his laughter and soon both of them started chuckling.

"In you go, Miss Sparkle," the Pegasus guard said as he moved his spear away. "Sorry for doubting you. I assume that you can make your way to the princess on your own?"

Twilight nodded. "I can, thank you." She turned to Brass Bit. "And thank you as well."

"Think nothing of it," Brass Bit chuckled. "Come, let's not keep the princess waiting."

The pair of Unicorns walked into the castle. Twilight noticed that, just like in Canterlot, there were a lot more guards around. She didn't comment on it though, instead waiting until she got her answers from Celestia.

"I must leave you now, Twilight Sparkle," Brass Bit said. "I'm needed at the treasury. It was nice seeing you again."

"You too. Oh, and thanks again for helping me out," Twilight said with a smile.

"Any time," Brass Bit said with a courtly wave. "Goodbye Miss Sparkle." With that said, he left towards the royal treasury.

Twilight watched as he walked away. "This is it," she said to herself as she started walking again, this time towards the throne room. That was the place she was most likely to find the princess at this time of day.

She easily made her way there, having known the quickest way there (or away from there) since she was a filly. She lifted her hoof to knock on the door but stopped.

Twilight had fond memories of this castle. Despite what most ponies would think, she did get into trouble at times. Usually because Spike egged her on though.

But no matter what she did wrong, the princess never held it against her. Princess Celestia was like a second mother to Twilight. Well, a third mother if she counted the Changeling queen.

That was the reason Twilight was afraid to knock. That her third mother, her teacher, her mentor and hero would cast her out, just like Chrysalis all those years ago.

Twilight realized though, that if she didn't knock, she'd never find out.

She raised her hoof and-

Something else drew her attention. Her troubles were suddenly forgotten as Twilight turned around. A feeling was invading her mind, just like before at the hive. This one wasn't as strong though. Twilight felt but a fraction compared to the ones back in the Wastelands.

And the feeling they projected was different. Instead of happiness, it felt more like loneliness. Twilight still didn't know exactly how she could tell those apart though.

Twilight set out to find the source of the loneliness. Celestia could wait a few minutes, she told herself.

The feeling got stronger and stronger the further away she walked from Celestia's throne room.

Eventually Twilight came to a staircase, one that she had never been down because Celestia had forbidden her from doing so.

"The dungeons?" Twilight asked out loud. "What could be…" She took a first step down. She needed to know what was down there.

And as she had expected, there wasn't much. The walls were bleak, the floor was grey and the bars were solid. Twilight just wondered who left the door wide open. Not that she'd be able to free any hardened criminals without the other keys but it seemed like a big security risk to her.

Most of the cells were empty anyway.

Except for two cells next to each other. Twilight gasped as she saw who was in there.

One contained about a dozen or so Changelings, while the other contained only two. The larger group bowed before her as she came into their view. "Don't bow, please," Twilight said. Instantly the group reared up again.

"Princess?" a raspy voice asked from the other cell. "Why are you here?" one of the Changelings said, the other one was sleeping at the moment.

"I heard you, all of you," Twilight answered. "You were lonely, right?"

"We are," the soldier said. "They especially," he motioned to the cell besides them. "They need the queen to guide them. They are one with her," he explained. "And they can be one with you too…"

"How did you guys end up here?" Twilight asked, ignoring the Changeling's slightly creepy words for the time being.

"We were captured by the ponies," he said. "But our plan worked, you were safe! Why did you come back?"

"I have my reasons," Twilight said. "Are you okay? They haven't hurt you, have they?" Twilight knew that Princess Celestia would never allow any guard to lay a hoof on a prisoner. But she couldn't be around at all times either.

"No, they have not," the Changeling said, much to Twilight's relief. "But they tried. The pony princess tried to name us," he spat. "We didn't like it."

"I'm sorry about that," Twilight said. "Listen, the princess is a dear friend of mine. Maybe I can get her to release you all."

"Thank you, princess." The Changeling fell to his knees. "But we are not worthy of your kindness, we failed our mission. We got caught!"

"I'm sure that-" Twilight stopped herself as she remembered what Chrysalis did to Changelings that failed. "Never mind. But I'll find a way to free you, don't worry."

"Who goes there?" a loud voice boomed through the cell block. A single Earth pony guard came rushing down towards the Changeling cells. "You! What are you doing here?" he demanded to know.

"I-I… isn't it visiting hours yet?" Twilight asked nervously.

"You're coming with me," the guard said.

"You will not lay your filthy hooves on her!" The eleven Changelings that had been passive up until now were nearly foaming at the mouth as they stuck their hooves through the bars trying to claw at the guard.

"Stop that!" Twilight ordered. Instantly, the Changelings backed down and resumed their passive stances, like nothing had happened.

Both Twilight and the guards stared at them, before the guard snapped out of his stupor. "Come with me," he ordered her.

Twilight was escorted to the throne room by the trembling guard. Apparently, those Changelings had been docile since they were imprisoned, not reacting to any outside stimulus besides chocolate.

"Why did they react to you?" the guard asked as they came to the throne room.

"I'd rather not say…" Twilight trailed off. "I need to speak to the princess first."

"Indeed," the guard said.

They soon arrived at the throne room. The Earth pony knocked on the door, which was quickly opened by another royal guards. "I caught this pony snooping around in the dungeons. She needs to speak to the princess, says it's very important," he said that with an unbelieving note to his words.

"Very well," the other guard said as he pushed the door further open.

Twilight walked in slowly, only to receive a shove against her behind from the Earth pony. "Move it!" he laughed.

With that done and the door closed, he returned to his post. At least, that was what he tried to do.

Nopony saw him suddenly slumping down to the ground, the sound of hooves striking armor resounding through the hallway.

"Nopony touches my princess," one of Twilight's guard said as he became visible again. He dragged the unconscious pony into a closet and swiped his keys.

"Twi-twilight?" Princess Celestia uttered, her eyes wide in shock. "You came back!"

The proud Alicorn spread her beautiful wings and leapt from atop her throne, soaring down towards Twilight. The guards quickly stepped away from the purple Unicorn as Princess Celestia landed in front of her.

"Oh Twilight!" Celestia wrapped her wings around her faithful student as she pulled her into an equine hug. "I was so worried about you. How did you come back? Why were you in the dungeons?"

"It's a long story princess," Twilight said. She was so glad to see the princess again, even if it had only been a few days. And this reaction gave Twilight just a sliver of hope.

"Oh Twilight, when I discovered that you had been taken away…" Celestia sighed. "I just didn't know what to do."

"It's okay, princess. I'm fine," Twilight said with a cautious smile on her face. Would Celestia still be as ecstatic when she found out about Twilight's true heritage?

"Fine? How can you be fine?" Celestia asked. "You were kidnapped from under our noses! Just how-" The princess of the sun fell quiet. She turned to her guards. "All of you, leave this room right now. I need to speak to my student in private."

The guards nodded silently and quickly left the room.

"Now what was I saying?" Celestia asked, trying to pick up from where they left.

"Just a minute, princess," Twilight interrupted her. "You, get out too. I know you're there."

No response.

"Come on! Your princess is ordering you!" Twilight didn't want to raise her voice like that, nor did she want to throw her weight around. But if Princess Celestia demanded privacy from her own guards, then so would Twilight.

"Twilight, who are you talking to?" Celestia asked. "There's no one here besides us."

An exaggerated thud was heard, followed by another. Twilight and Celestia could clearly hear an angry chittering, accompanied by hoofsteps heading towards the door, which swung open.

"Twilight?" Celestia asked as the door was slammed shut just as quickly. "What just happened?"

"You got rid of your guards, I got rid of mine." Twilight smiled nervously. "Yes, I have guards too. I thought there was only one though." Maybe the one she sent off with Shining Armor had returned already.

"So…" Celestia started. "It's true? About the Changelings? And you?"

Twilight nodded. "Wait, how do you know about that?" She was baffled.

"Starlight and I had a little chat after she crashed the wedding," Celestia said. "I assume that she also told you about what she did at the ceremony?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, she didn't. And I didn't ask either… I had a lot of things on my mind. Six thousand or so Changeling for example."

"I see." Celestia frowned. "I'll bring you up to date…"

And so the solar princess told Twilight everything she knew about what happened at the wedding.

Twilight was in shock. "How's Cadance?" she asked. "Is she okay? I can't believe that she did such a thing!"

"Cadance is reacting well to the treatment," Celestia said. "She may not be as powerful as I or Luna but she's still an Alicorn. Though I fear that she may bear that limp for a long time, if not for the rest of her life."

Twilight felt sick. Her birthmother had treated Cadance, one of the ponies most important to her, as dirt. "I'm so sorry…" Twilight said. "This is all my fault!"

"It is not!" Celestia said, raising her voice. "If anypony's to blame, it's her. I do not agree with her actions, Twilight. But I can understand why she did what she did." Celestia knew how far a mother would go for her child, even resorting to such underhand actions was no exception.

"But Cadance…" Twilight whined. "She didn't deserve that!"

"I know she didn't," Celestia comforted her student. "But what's done is done. Cadance will recover from her ordeal and you are safe."

Twilight nodded. "Right," she sniffed and wiped a tear away. When had she started crying, Twilight wondered.

"Twilight? Can you tell me what happened? When Chrysalis took you with her?" Celestia knew that this could be a potentially sore subject for Twilight but her curiosity got the better of her.

Twilight nodded. She told Princess Celestia everything. About her new wings, about the kink in her horn. About how Chrysalis claimed to be her mother. About the hive and all of her new brothers and sisters. About what she saw there, though Twilight failed to mention the pod-ponies. She didn't really want to share that bit with Celestia just yet.

"Don't worry about Shining Armor," she finished her story. "I sent one of my guards with him to the hospital."

"That's good to hear, Princess Twilight." Celestia let out a girlish giggle, despite the severity of the situation. "I'm sorry. But who would have thought of that?"

"Not me, princess. Honestly, I don't know what to think of my new title." Twilight frowned. "It doesn't mean anything to me. Not yet at least. Once I become queen…" She shuddered at the thought.

"Well, then you'll outrank me," Celestia said seriously.

Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh no, princess! That's not what I meant!"

Celestia giggled again. "Oh Twilight, you're so easy to rile up." She nuzzled her student again. "I'm just so glad that you're home. I suppose that you're off to visit your parents next?"

Twilight nodded. "And then Cadance and Shining Armor. I hope she doesn't hate me."

"Cadance couldn't hate you if she tried," Celestia brushed her worries aside.

"I hope so." Twilight was still worried though. "Princess Celestia?" she asked.

"Yes Twilight?"

"I have something to show you. Something that may be of aid to the Changelings." Twilight cursed herself for forgetting the scroll at the carriage. But she had been so eager to get to Canterlot that it completely slipped her mind. "Can I bring it by after I've visited my parents and Cadance?"

"Of course you can." Celestia smiled. "We'll have plenty of time to discuss those things then. But to be honest, I have something to ask of you too. Can I see your true form?" she leaned in closer.

"My true form? Oh no, princess… I won't be able to disguise properly afterwards." Twilight still hadn't fully mastered the skill. She still needed more practice.

"Is it that bad?" Celestia asked.

Twilight nodded. "Yes. Parts of me stay Changeling when I transform. I can't walk around Canterlot with holes in my hooves or a green abdomen!"

Celestia thought for a few seconds. "I think I have just the thing for you Twilight." Her horn glowed as she reached behind her own throne. A large black cloak came out from behind it. "Here you go, try it on."

She wrapped Twilight up in the cloak, almost entirely obscuring her from sight. "I look like a walking tent!" Twilight said from underneath the cloak.

"Well, it is a few sizes too large. Luna always leaves her cloaks lying around," Celestia said, annoyance clear in her voice.

"Well that explains-" Twilight fell silent as she had a flashback to Nightmare Night. Luna's cloak had exploded into a swarm of bats that night. Twilight did not like bats.

"This is a regular cloak, right?" her voice was trembling. The cloak was all around her and Twilight could now feel the magic running through it. And then she heard the beating of their hearts…

"I think so, why?" Celestia asked, blissfully unaware of Twilight's chiroptophobia.

"B-B-Bats!" Twilight screamed as the cloak suddenly came alive around her. She didn't know better than to start running around in blind panic. This in turn upset the bats, causing them to cling to Twilight, to make sure they couldn't be thrown off.

The feel of their little fingers, digging into her skin, made things even worse for Twilight.

Princess Celestia watched everything unfold in front of her, unable to do anything but watch in horror as Twilight screamed to the high heavens.

Suddenly Twilight came to a stop, having run into the door. She stumbled and fell over onto her stomach. A flash of fire engulfed her, startling the bats even more. The flames did send them all flying though, leaving Twilight free of the mammals.

Celestia watched as the bats flew around in panic before they all scattered through the various windows, shrieking in pain and fear.

"I'm so sorry about that, Twilight," Princess Celestia said. "I thought Luna took her bats with her to-" Celestia simply stopped talking mid-sentence. She saw Twilight laying on the ground, now a Changeling.

Something clicked in her mind and her pupils dilated.

"It's okay, princess," Twilight said as she attempted to get back to her hooves. "I'm fine."

"Well, that's good to hear," Princess Celestia said coldly. "But I thought I ordered you to stay out of my sight, Starlight Twinkle!"

Reviews are always welcome!


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